Classics Books

Enhance your dining pleasure by reading this most enjoyable and entertaining book about the restaurant business. It has added another dimension to our frequent visits to our favorite eateries.

John Galloway excels in the area of sardonic wit. His writing is stunningly succinct and his snappy writing style infuses this book with an impressive energy. His astute observations are deliciously poetic and he seems to have a photographic memory. His descriptions either infuse your mind with vivid pictures of complete chaos or shock you with laughter. He claims slavery still exists in America and at times this book does border on a study of human debauchery. John Galloway has a finely tuned sense of justice and not only has the ability to analyze his past work environments; he is at times almost expressing a calculated view of modern life.

In the first section we read about John Galloway's induction into culinary hell and then he delves into the topics of tipping, memorable waiters, celebrities and his views on patrons galore. Nothing escapes his shrewd observations skills or his critical review.

Everything from his sage advice to restaurant owners, to his views on the environment and veal leads me to believe that his reasons for writing this book are at the heart, healing. I was amazed at how many of the unspoken rules members of my own family have broken while dining out. I now understand why waiters are not especially interested in worrying about large parties and why they hate it when people fight over checks or despise the "can we have separate checks" question.

The hilarious, yet wicked revenge tactics and kitchen adventures might make you wonder how any cooking is ever accomplished. It did occur to me that the world John Galloway so despised was also one he actively helped to create. There are moments when a call for solidarity and the complete lack of regard for patrons clashes sharply with the obvious undercurrent of concern John Galloway wants to show to the world. His writing may dissuade a few innocents from entering the food service industry and then again it might even encourage the adventurous to take up a new challenge.

This book is filled with tales of inebriation as a survival mechanism, not so tantalizing descriptions of food preparation, drunken crazed chefs enduring overwhelming stress levels, descriptions of waiters, extreme chemical addictions, insensitive patrons and all the true thoughts waiters never reveal in glowing detail (swearing included).

I loved the idea of just putting a pepper mill on every table! Salad lovers unite. I also love the fact that throughout this book the reader is scathingly admonished to the extent that even I may never eat bread again before ordering my meal. Although, normally the bread is served after we order. I'm definitely not drinking the water anymore unless it is in bottled form.

John Galloway sheds light on various levels of society who seem to lack all consideration for human dignity. Although, I have to say I've heard of chefs who were voted husband of the year (I've also sampled their cuisine at the restaurant), waiters and waitresses who actually enjoy their job (some relatives and friends) and take pride in their appearance and have a definite work ethic.

I think John Galloway focuses on a extreme environment in which "the love of money" truly does become the root of all evil.

On the other side of the world, over here in the other Washington, chefs enjoy cooking with organic ingredients, support recycling efforts and contribute recipes to cookbooks that help to feed the hungry. There is another side of the story and this book presents the extreme comedic view of "dining out" as it dishes up all the dirt about the negative side of human nature.

"I would like" to say that if you enjoy reality shows or all the negative reviews for movies you disliked, then this might be your book. The writing in this book is impressive for a first-time author. I hope he will take on American culture in general and bring to light many of the issues that need to be addressed in a refreshingly honest and yet somewhat brutally candid way. He does address the issues of animal cruelty, gluttony, food waste and pertinent issues of homeless situations.

I can almost guarantee you that some parts of this book will cause the warrior in you to rise from the dust, but overall it is a humorous read. If you have a good sense of humor, you will be able to overlook the obvious arrows hurtled in all directions.

Since we all eat out, know someone who has worked in the food industry, or may have worked in the food industry at some point in our lives, this book contains information that will be of interest to almost everyone. As long as you have a strong stomach and a willingness to wade through a few moments of extreme revelation you can gain an entirely new perspective on culinary culture.

~The Rebecca Review

Truth, Humor, Edge, and Energy, December 17, 2004
Reviewer: FurSanhomera "furjomharnen" (United States) - See all my reviews
This book was simply outstanding, for a first work. The only book I liked better, was John Galloway's phenom new effort-
FINE DINING MADNESS ((Universe, January 2005),a 5-Star masterpiece which is maybe the best nonflction book I've ever
read {I purchased an advance copy at an Alzheimer's fund-raiser dinner in NYC}. With the rules of restaurant engagement
clearly laid out, FINE DINING MADNESS is turbo-charged, Vegas-centered new edition of his last book,"Dry, Up, with a
Twist." "Dry, Up, with a Twist" never attained it's full best-seller potential because Galloway's original publishing house
[Gardenia Press] went out of business after the death of its president, P. Elizabeth Collins <who herself authored "Wild
Gardenias" and "Secrets Unbecoming";.. Galloway knows his stuff,and and his words have edge and energy. His "rules of
fine dining" not only apply to restaurants, but to/for life. There will be much noise made about FINE DINING MADNESS
I'm sure all of it will be positive. '

John Galloway, Jr. has led an incredible life in the business of fine dining... He has brought that journey to life in his book Dry, Up, with a Twist. The stage is set by his autobiographical story, where he speaks of the personal tragedy and victory which lead to his career in the food service industry.

John then leads us through the characters, personalities and celebraties he has befriended and served in his travels. He tells the story of life as a waiter from a very open an honest point of view, sparing no words and no one. This book is a must read if you want to know how to "get in touch" with your server and enjoy the best dining experience possible.

It is also inspiring to watch as John struggles with tragedy, matures and rises above those around him who settle for their given lot in life. Read it for your self, give it to a friend. It will inspire you as well.

This memoir was good, but unpolished. FINE DINING MADNESS, Galloway's subsequent book, which was made from the ashes of this one, is best seller caliber.

The Great Brain is one of the best all time books for boys ever written. In my humble opinion of course. The prose is engaging capturing the attention. The stories are exciting and compelling. The chapters are just the right length. And it has all the elements that young boys love from Cowboys and Indians to cops and robbers. What more could you ask for?

But of course, looking back on my childhood as I place this book on the shelf for my own little boy, I realize that the moral lessons this book taught so covertly were lessons that stayed with me: tolerance for other cultures and religions, compassion for those less fortunate, love of family. These are foundational values and the Great Brain teaches them. And the thing is, as a young person, you don't realize you're getting a lesson, you just know you like the story.

This book is a wonderful protrait of 19th century rural America, but people should be aware that it was written at a time when there was much more freedom of speech than we have today. Topics in the book include suicide, religious intolerance and fear of immigrants. There is a scene where the boys go skinny dipping and also one story concerns John mating his dog, so this book probably should not be brought to a public elementary school for fear it might offend someone. Also there are no African-Americans in the book, and while the book does portray Jews, Moromons, Protestants and Catholics coexisting, there are no Muslims in this book, so it is not very politically correct. Also the "I" word is used casually and no mention is made of the plight of native Americans, except to say that they are the only non-immigrants in America. Women are displayed in subservient roles, always cooking, cleaning and taking care of the sick, although all the boys are portrayed as having chores. [...]

In the book The Great Brain written by John D. Fitzgerld was awesome! The book takes place in Adenville, Utah. There are some main characters this book, Tom (T.D) who is known as the great brain, Swyen (S, D) who is the eldest and acts mature, John (J, D) who is the youngest and is always up to something, Abie who is a store owner, and Mr. Standish who is the new school house teacher who everyone hates. Tom, John, and Swyen's father ordered a water closet, which is a bathroom, and they let people see it if they paid one cent. They made forty cents total. When Swyen got the measles, John was jells because he had never gotten sick first and then got to rub it in his brothers face. So one day John decided he wanted to get sick. John went over to his friend Howard who has had the mumps. So he decided to sneak into his house and started breathing in Howard's sick breath, and what do you know, John got sick. Abie had fainted once, twice, Abie died from malnutrition. They had a funeral for him that very day. Mr. Standish was the new school house teacher. Mr. Standish had paddled Tom for not being a tattletale, and Tom swore he would get back to Mr. Standish. So anways Swyen had gone to a Cathloic school in Salt Lake City so Swyen was gone and it was now just Tom and John. Andy their friend had stepped on a rusty nail and had not been able to return back to school. He ended up getting a prosthetic leg.

I learned that you should not lie for any purpose. Like when Tom found a way to get rid of Mr. Standish and when Tom's father asked if he had known anything to know about it and Tom never spoke a word intill his mamma made him tell. I also learned in this book that helping people is good. Like when Tom helped Basil get out of a fight, or when Tom helped Andy play baseball.

I recommend this book to someone who likes smart kids and funny stories. Like the time John wanted to get sick and he got the mumps. Why I think that the book is funny because it is all about fun and making life worth living.

The is a wonderfully, great, terrific book! They need to re-release the Great Brain movie from 1978 starring little Jimmy Osmond! Also, if I may suggest, try reading the Adventures With Boys book series-- Just as good!!!;)

I poured through these books continuously in my youth. I would beg for a trip to the library so I could find just one more I hadn't read.

I had all but forgotten about them until my oldest showed a keenness for reading. Now I'm ordering them for her for Christmas. I hope she gleans as much joy as I did from them! I used to love to pretend that Papa was handing out his sage advice directly to me.

This is such a wonderfully written series for young readers. You really can't go wrong with them, and hopefully my daughter will review this for you some time after Christmas!

I read this book as a child and wanted to share it with my grandchildren.

I loved this book when I was a junior high teen, and at 57 I find I love it still. I have chortled for 40+ years over the mental image of the Irish Wail (tied up in a cardboard box, sealed with a bit of wax)voraciously devouring cabbages and growing in size, volume, and, of course, degrees of harmony.

THIS BOOK IS AN A++++ WINNER. Buy it for your kids, and if you can pry it away from them, read it for your own pleasure. Your life will change--for the better--after you meet David and the Phoenix.

Hallelujah!!! This book was in desperate need of a reprint. I just bought it, again, and let my children read it. With the original artwork included, this is a must have. People say if you like Harry Potter, but that doesn't do the book justice. This is the Holy Grail here. You will laugh and cry and fear for the characters and fall in love with them too. And sadly, you won't want the book to end, but it will. When will we see David and the Phoenix again?

I was thrilled to see this wonderful classic reissued. It is the result of a master writer with a fertile imagination. the intrigue that results as David tries to save the Phoenix from the scientist makes it hard for one to put the book down. Love the ending. I would also recommend "Moonspins and Widdershins" for those who love fastasy.

Before there was Harry Potter, there was a boy named David. This book helped me through some very hard times in my childhood. I discovered this wonderful story when I was 10 years old and read my book club copy until it fell to pieces. As the years past, I never forgot this wonderful story. Over 40 years have gone by since I last joined David and his friend on their magical adventures. I am purchasing a new copy for myself and for my adult son. And, no, dear readers. This is a story for girls as well as boys. After all, we all love a grand tale that helps us forget our mundane lives.

The storyline is very simple, a good complement to illustrations that are colorful and detailed enough to hold the attention of very young children. We got this when my first son was about 9 mos. old; within the next year he had it memorized and could "read" it to us. My son is now 22 (YEARS old) and my husband and I can still recite the book . . .

this is a great book to teach aobut seasons and bring in new vocabulary and it is a great book because it is for toddlers but it is a board book so it can withstand younger siblings.

This book is delightful for children of 18 months to 3 years. The story is lyrical enough to capture their attention, the illustrations are delightful and Richard Scarry lives up to his excellent reputation as a chldren's author. It makes a great inexpensive gift.

I loved this book as a kid. When my family moved it was never seen again. I have been trying to find it again for years. I just found it! I read it to my daughter now and she gets so excited to turn to the next page. I am having fun sharing these kind of books with her. :)

This book holds the attention of my 18-month-old for quite a while, especially the rain page. It should last forever.

Jorge Luis Borges was one of those rare writers who can take even a bizarre, utterly unbelievable idea, and spin it into an exquisite little gem of prose.

And this classic writer was at the peak of his powers when he collected together "Ficciones," whose plain name belies the subtle power and exquisite beauty of Jorges' short stories. Even among Borges' many short stories, few of them can rival this little labyrinth of strange ancient cities, fictional histories, and the eerie depths of the human mind.

"I owe the discovery of Uqbar to the conjunction of a mirror and an encyclopedia." An odd old saying from the Middle-East leads the narrator to seek out the long-lost heretical histories of a fictional world known as Tlon. Its beliefs, language, and metaphysical eccentricities increasingly fascinate the narrator, until it's almost a surprise to realize that Borges invented all of this.

The stories that follow are no less engrossing -- the recounting of a strange, haunting novel, a man who attempts to LIVE as Don Quixote, a man who tries to dream a new being into existence, a lottery that determines the way the people of Babylon are to live, an examination of a brilliant and underrated author, an exploration of the eternal Library of the universe, and a labyrinthine spy story.

The second round of short stories is a bit less enthralling, merely because it focuses more on "typical" Borges short stories. But they are still pretty enthralling pieces of work -- the remembrance of the brilliantly eccentric Ireneo Funes, the story of a scar, a series of murders linked to "the secret Name," a condemned man's begs God for a year to perfect his art, a forgotten heretic, a conversation leading to revenge, the Cult of the Phoenix, and a man entranced by the "Arabian Nights."

Mirrors and labyrinths fill Borges' work -- real and imagined, in word, metaphor and reality. You see them in an endless library, a guitar melody, a contradiction in religious faith, a complex plot, and in the mind of a man who loses himself to an obsession. The mirrors show you the sides of people that they would never see themselves, and the labyrinth twists the mind into new places where it would never normally go.

"Ficciones" explores places where normal fiction would never go -- such as a Babylonian lottery for different places in society, corrupted by greed -- even as it imbues its eulogies, metaphysical ponderings and explanations with the tinge of reality. The cults, deaths, and art that Borges describes seem so plausible, and are given such depth and detail, that it comes as a mild shock when you realize, "Hey, he made all of this up."

Part of that is due to his unique style, full of elegant wordcraft and gently luminous imagery ("a round yellow moon defined two leaf-clogged fountains in the dreary garden"). Even a stabbing is made brutally beautiful, and often dialogue is unnecessary -- the most beautiful and striking stories in here are the ones where Borges (aka the narrator) eagerly explores some invented facet of the world.

And woven through these stories are many of the things that fascinated Borges through his career -- a tragic hero, ancient heresies, an elusive God, and people whose lives he could somehow explore through his own imagination.

If you could criticize anything at all, it's that few of the characters -- aside from the Borges "narrator" -- are much more than walking symbols of a murky little message. But hey, you could simply see this entire book as an exploration of Borges' own imagination by himself. He happily recounts countries that are nonexistant, books that were never written, geniuses who never were.

"Ficciones" is about the dullest name you can possibly give to a work of genius -- an intricate little web that is all mirrors and mazes. Absolutely stunning.

My knowledge of Borges is small; before purchasing Ficciones I had only read two or three of his short stories. Enough, however, to know that it would be well worth the short time it takes to read each of these stories.

Borges had an unusual and amazing way of compressing the most stimulating, fascinating material into a small number of pages. You may read one of his stories in ten-fifteen minutes and contemplate it for a week (or more) and remember it for life. And still, you may well want to reread it many times; it has happened more than once that upon finishing a Borges short I immediately wanted to go back and start from the beginning.

The strange thoughts on infinity and the nature of existence are presented in a way that stimulates thought in a humble yet intruiging way. Ideas that may be well recognized and used in other fiction (in some cases overused) have some other element, some different approach, so that even if the premise is not "new" the experience certainly is. How this can be done, and in so few words no less, is beyond me.

This was certainly one of my very best buys and I know that this book will be well worn by my reading alone, not to mention that of the many people I will lend it to with my best recommendations. These short stories will bring beauty and excitement of the mind to many an otherwise boring, mundane day.

Borges, a half deaf Mephisto indian from Peru, wrote in the later half of the 20th century when half of his inheritance had been squandered in Bordellos charging full price. His forte into "asylum" literature came about as a result of being incarcerated by accident in a Bolivian prison camp which inspired the film, "Papillon". His days were spent by writing and re-reading a book he carried inside his pocket for 22 years which was titled, "Moth Collecting for Youngsters". Most of these stories deal with tidal waves and rocks but some, deal with the memories of his youth like "Hopping on Empty Books".

Transport the Wachowski brothers to the 1930's and ask them to express their philosophy by way of short stories. You might get something in the same ballpark as Ficciones. The diversity and genius of Borges' work is so unique that if you were to know all the languages in the world and had no word limit, it would still be hard to do a review that does justice. Ironically, this is exactly the kind of challenge that Borges would stand up to. I will attempt to review this work by enlisting adjectives that come to mind.

Surreal, mystic, recursive, sophistic, heretical, philosophical, religious, profound, imaginative, ingenious, circular, open-ended, unorthodox, personal, hallucinational, original, universal, self-referential, concise, contextual, complex, ironic.

Here are a few examples of the complexity of Borges' mind at work.

Borges attributes certain imaginary books and volumes of books to some of the authors that he is most influenced by. In reality, these books are projections of Borges' fertile mind and no more. In the process of critiquing imaginary works of art (let's call this meta-art), he creates an instance of the meta-art in the mind of the reader. It's like me talking to you about the eating habits of a third person you haven't met, and actually does not exist! Borges never fails to leave you with a lasting impression of a meta-art that resonates with your senses. On second thoughts, this is obvious because the meta-art is as much a figment of your imagination as it is Borges'. Every meta-art is a reflection of your own creative mind, while Borges is simply holding a mirror. And talking about mirrors, here's a quote from Borges as attributed by him to the meta-art in his first short story "Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius": "The earth we inhabit is an error, an incompetent parody. Mirrors and paternity are abominable because they multiply and affirm it." And with this we come full circle just like you would in most of Borges' stories.

Borges is fascinated with the idea of god and provides several unorthodox notions of god that might be as appealing to scientists as they would to priests. This is done more so by illustration than by elucidation. In fact, subtle self-references and recursions are an integral part of the entire work. The stories embody the concept that Borges sets out to illustrate, and always come full circle at the end such that appreciating the story is equivalent to appreciating the concept. Whether it is the wizard of "The Circular Ruins", the librarian of "The Library of Babel", the spy of "The Garden of Forking Paths", the teenage boy of "Funes the Memorious", or the playwright of "The Secret Miracle"; the self-referential nature of the work is haunting. Each story leaves you wondering how Borges could convey so much with so little words [This also speaks volumes about the quality of English translation]. Then again, the very topic of brevity and excessiveness is discussed in one of the reviews of a fictional book. It is like Borges does not let anything go. Yet again, the very topic of an all-encompassing book is discussed in the context of a fictional book that aspires to BE god.

There was not a single story of the seventeen that was not profound. There is no chance that you would not re-read this book after reading it once.

Borges never fails to please, to challenge, to entertain, and more importantly make one's brain shift into high gear!
If you are looking for an easy read, don't expect to find it in Ficciones.

However, if you are looking for a little cerebral cortex arousal; grab this book and find a cozy spot...you won't be disappointed!

Reading with his head instead of his heart, Borges looks to fill his mind with all the minutia and information he can possibly hold and release it back in his works with finely crafted and fascinatingly playful philosophical stories.

The sparse, objective writing of Ficciones is a far cry from his earlier lyrical style, of which he says: "In those days, I sought dusk, the outskirts, and unhappiness; now, mornings, the center, and serenity."

Thankfully in the newer center, we are treated to 17 extraordinary stories that are teasingly succinct, yet brimming with imaginative and aesthetic prose!

The scarcity of words requires that the reader pay attention to them all or miss much of the wisdom and subtleness that define the delicate and ingenious style that is this fine master of fiction...Jorge Luis Borges!

Read this book first when I was 15 years old and it motivated me to learn more about history of the second world war. It's one of the great books on world war II and D-Day and it is highly recommended!

A great deal of ink and celluloid has been used to describe the Allied invasion of Fortress Europe on Tuesday June 6, 1944. This book remains and no doubt always will be one of the best accounts of what happened that day. It captures the heroism of the common soldiers on both sides. While some of the men collapsed under the pressure, most exhibited great bravery as they fought for what they were told to fight for. One of the best features of this book is that Ryan depicts the German soldiers as fighting soldiers; he very rarely mentions the concept of Nazism or the origins of the war.
There is also very little mention of the clash of egos on the Allied side, although he spends a great deal of time describing the personality conflicts on the German side. I do not fault him for this, for it was these conflicts that kept the German mobile reinforcements from entering the fight on the beaches when they could have made a difference.
D-Day was not the greatest battle of World War II, greater ones took place on the Eastern front between Germany and the Soviet Union. However, it was the most complex in execution and was necessary from the Allied point of view. Given the tremendous power of the Soviet offensive in the east and the blockade of supplies, Germany would eventually have been defeated. However, if the D-Day invasion had been repulsed, the Soviet armies would have overrun all of Germany and possibly even much of France. As a consequence of this, the post-war world would have been very different. From this perspective it was one of the most significant as it put allied armies on a course through Germany. You cannot understand history without knowing about D-Day.

I reread this classic account after watching the Ken Burns PBS documentary,"The War". While Burns' work is magnificent and spans the entire war effort on both fronts, Ryan'streatment of the Normandy invasion is still the best ever on this most remarkable of all military undertakings. Much like Burn, Ryan's writing is filled with poignant personal; accounts expertly interwoven into the broad scope of this climactic event. Its worth a reread.

very fast delivery, quality product, would do business again

Cornelius Ryan invented two genres with his ground-breaking history-The Longest Day.
On the one hand, he started a trend to personalized history. His book relies heavily on the recollections of those who fought on both sides. In this he anticipates Ken Burns' The War - A Film By Ken Burns and Lynn Novick and also The Second World War the more scholarly John Keegan.
His other innovation, a brisk style of story-telling that hops from the personal to the technical to the strategic has won the day in the fiction of war. Tom Clancy Red Storm Risingis one of his legatees.
Aside from considerations of this book's considerable influence, this is one absorbing read. The personal sense that comes from Ryan's extensive interviews with veterans comes through on the page and the effect is extremely involving, even hypnotic.
The prose style, which seems a little overwrought today, was borrowed heavily from Henry Salomon's TV series Victory at Sea - The Legendary World War II Documentary (History Channel).In 1959, it seemed lke the best-maybe the only way-to discuss events whose importance was becoming more evident as they receded.
This edition lacks maps-except for one that doesn't even include Normandy, and there's no way to tell the strategic part of the story without them. There are also the same typos that existed in the first edition.

None the less, an exciting book and a great introduction to the power of personal history.

Lynn Hoffman, author of bang BANG: A Novel and the pioneering New Short Course in Wine,The

I must say this is one of the most light-hearted, hilarious books I have ever read. The story is of a world that one really may not get to see these days.. Go ahead and buy it..

In todays day and age of Steve Erwin and Jeff Corbin who go around hunting for animals, it is easy to forget where it all started. With people like Gerald, and the London zoo. In this book, he collects animals, deals with his demented siblings and his long suffering mother who has to raise four kids and fend off the advances of a really persistent Colonel who gets increasingly vulgar and `grabby' when he drinks. This is a rare story that combines a humorous story with humorous writing and I once caused passengers in a flight to turn around and give me strange looks, so hard was I laughing.

My Family and Other Animals is a bare-bones story in terms of plot. The Durrell family goes to Corfu, lives through what could be termed as a soap opera, and leaves. It's humourous, but not particularly challenging.

However, the older Gerald Durrell utilises vivid vocabulary over and over when describing the setting and people of Corfu. Fifteen-letter words that paint a crystalline picture are used frequently, relieving the never-ending roller coaster that is the life of the Durrells.

Overall, this is a highly entertaining book that will keep you engaged for the week or so that you will spend reading it every spare second you have.

Gerald Durrell was not only a naturalist and a gifted writer about his beloved animals, but a loving brother and son whose descriptions of his family and their foibles will keep you laughing all the way through. This is one of those books which I've reread so many times I've lost count, and which I've given to many friends who needed cheering up. Always works, too!

This book is absolutely, brilliantly funny. The wit and unique characterizations are woven with great descriptions of the animals and plants of Corfu. That Durrell can hold the attention of readers who have no interest in biology simply demonstrates what a fine work this is. Gerald's depiction of a larger-than-life expatriate family on a larger-than-life Greek island is a tremendous celebration of life. The variety of different Greek characters parading through this book rivals the variety of Corfu's flora and fauna. Absolute great read!

This is a must have in practice! The NP that I was practicing with during my clinical rotation actually told me to get this and he was correct, you have everything you need in one book!

I am a pharmacist and carry this book with me everywhere. It is small enough to fit in my purse and it can answer questions on dosing, indications, and much more. It is definitely a lot faster to use than the slow computers at the pharmacy!

I use this pocket guide more often than I use my palm pilot for drug doses. My lab coat is not complete without this book. Even when I am on call, I make sure I have one of my multiple copies at bedside so I can look up meds in the middle of the night. Also, I am a preceptor for PA students, and I recommend each and every one of them purchase some version of this guide (and most of them do).

A fast, keep in your shirt pocket reference for drug name, dosing, available dosing sizes, route of clearance and safety in pregnancy or lactation. It is tiny - a centimeter thick and shirt pocket dimensioned. Really great when a patient comes in with some oddball psych med, is found to be pregnant or you get a braincramp somewhere around your thirtieth patient of the day. I use this little gem regularly.

It's great IF the ONLY info you need is dosing information. If you need more information like SIDE EFFECTS, METHOD OF ACTION, etc, 'Clinician's Pocket Drug Reference' from Scut Monkey is far more useful/helpful. At least it was (and is) to me during med school and now in residency.

How I missed this classic growing up, I'll never know. But my son has discovered the Ramona books, and they are wonderful and very true to life. Ramona's thought-processes and antics are so real, I now know that my son has been behaving like a normal kid! Cleary is so accurate in rendering the child's perspective and writing about it in a way that young children can identify with, that this book can't fail to appeal to everyone, now and for years to come. It hasn't dated, and the humor holds up well. Don't miss this series--your little reader will be eager to pick up the entire series.

Although it was first published in the 1960s, "Ramona The Pest" still speaks to the lives of children today, as a five-year old Ramona Quimby enters the world of "big kids" and goes off to kindergarten. Funny, heartfelt and honest, this book centers on Ramona's eagerness to please her new teacher, Miss Binney, and the difficulties of a headstrong little girl trying to mind her temper and get along with other kids in a complex social situation. This was the first solo Ramona book (Henry Huggins and Ramona's older sister Beezus make appearances, but they are not central to the story) and was the start of a series of Ramonacentric adventures. It includes some classic Cleary gags, such as Ramona getting the words to the "Star Spangled Banner" wrong ("by the dawnzer lee light...") and Ramona's brief career as a "kindergarten dropout". Great stuff - still holds up today. (ReadThatAgain children's book reviews)

I really loved this book. It was a lot of fun to read! It is great for kids of all ages, as it can remind everyone of their struggles as an elementary student.

Five-year-old Ramona Quimby is tired of being called a pest. It's not her fault she doesn't know as much as her big sister Beezus, or that she's always so eager to get things done, is it?

This year, Ramona is finally starting kindergarten. After what felt like years of waiting, she's excited at the idea of learning to read and write like Beezus.

But kindergarten is full of its own problems. As much as Ramona loves her teacher, she isn't always sure that Miss Binney loves her back -- or what she's done to make her unhappy. Ramona also quibbles with Howie, a neighborhood boy who alternates between being her friend and being so exasperating he makes her furious; longs to pull the curls of her classmate Susan, and to kiss shy little Davy.

As always, Ramona is a believable character, likeable and just like any other child readers might hope to meet. After becoming introduced to Ramona, young readers will clamor for the other books, eager to find out what happens to the irrepressible girl next.

Beverly Clearly is one of those rare children's authors who knows how to see the world through the eyes of her characters. There's a reason for all those rave reviews from readers over the years.

Ramona the Pest provides an opportunity for the child in your life to see how Romana's world is much like his own, and learn from Ramona as she makes mistakes.

Ramona the Pest is certain to be a favorite of yours, as well.

That's a big statement but I can tell you with all honesty. This is the best cookbook I've ever read, more importantly it is the best cookbook I've ever USED. And, do I use it often, YES! Here Tony Bourdain shines not only as an amusing and talented writer but exposes to us all to the REAL principal behind all great dishes, and not just French food, that good, quality ingredients coupled with time-proven methods ARE the best. I have been a cook for many years and I specialise in Italian cookery but Tony's book brought me back to appreciate French-style cookery as never before. But the country of origin doesn't matter, it's the approach. No BS! Tell it like it is. All cookbooks are, to me, guides, but Tony has the nous to say, in places, you MUST do this and that. Little details and quality advice tips that take a good dish to 'great' status. His, utterly correct emphasis on the basics like a good stock or jus, tells us that these are the real fundamentals of good cookery. And, he shows us that which is so true: all great cookery has its origins in 'peasant' food, be it French, Italian, British or Asian. I class this book and Fergus Henderson's, 'Nose To Tail Eating' as two of the most important cookbooks of the 20th Century.
William Kenneth Halliwell
Hobart, Tasmania, Australia

The recipes includes are a bit difficult in my opinion (especially finding the right ingredients), but Bourdain's aim is to challenge you and not to dumb down everything, which I appreciate.

His writing style is very approachable and unlike with most cookbooks you feel like he's talking to you as he warns you to not overfill the blender when you are making soup and hold the top down tight unless you want soup all over you.

I've made one thing so far which was mushroom soup and it was delicious, so I can imagine the the rest of the food is equally so.

Classic cooking done in classic Anthony Bourdain style. If you like his TV show, you'll love this book.

I was quite pleased to receive this cookbook as a gift, but disappointed once I started cooking the recipes. Mr. Bourdain's talents as a writer are not to be denied, but it must be said that these recipes are a bit anemic and wanting. While I definitely appreciate his passion for good food, that passion doesn't seem to extend into making the actual food himself. Which is totally fine -- Bourdain's advocacy for top-quality cuisine is definitely appreciated -- but it means I'll look elsewhere for the nuts and bolts of good recipes.

This is a bible and a foundation for anyone interested in seeing good results from their efforts in undertaking french cooking. These recipes are durable and refined for someone who wants to illicit "oh wow" responses from their guests. I can't overstate the social value of enlisting your friends and local grocers and butcher for this journey. This is a book for someone with some time and love to dedicate.