New York Books

In this season of great storms, and with the first anniversary of the Asian tsunami approaching, we have repeatedly been reminded of both our mortality and vulnerability in the face of nature's sometimes unpredictable, and certainly uncontrollable, wrath. In that vein, noted journalist and author Tom Clavin has written a book that looks back over 50 years to what can only be described as a "small" storm, though it had devastating consequences for scores of people, their families and friends, and in particular, one community that relied on the benevolence and bounty of the sea for its livelihood, and future well being.

Dark Noon is about a freak storm, a squall really, that hardly registered beyond the confines of the far East End of Long Island on a Labor Day weekend in 1951, six years after the end of World War II, and one year into the now almost forgotten "police action" that would take thousands of lives in Korea. But as Clavin's book makes poignantly clear, even a footnote to history can have profound consequences to those involved, and in this case, provide riveting drama to a new generation of readers.

Clavin paints a vivid picture of the sometimes hard-luck fishing village of Montauk (about 100 miles east of New York city) at the mid-point of the past century. We are reminded of how different America, and this now "glamorous" outpost of the Hamptons, once was, while at the same time, we inevitably see the parallels with today. As already noted, one war had just ended, and one was commencing. Americans who had survived the Great Depression, and secured the major regions of their planet with blood and sacrifice were looking forward to a peaceful and prosperous tomorrow. But at the same time, the world around them had changed, and not necessarily for the better. With another war brewing far away, and the specter of the atomic bomb always present, they so much wanted to simply relax and have some fun on that fateful Labor Day weekend so long ago.

The particular diversion that Dark Noon examines is the once booming recreational fishing business in Montauk. Every weekend, thousands of (mostly blue-collar New York city) anglers would board a Long Island Railroad train called the "Fisherman's Special" in the early hours of the morning, then stream out of the station at the end of the line. There they would crowd onto a series of "open boats" that took them out into the Atlantic for some "deep-sea" fishing. One of those boats, the Pelican, is the primary subject of this book. Captained by a handsome and charismatic World War II veteran named Eddie Carroll-who in the now grainy newspaper prints of the time somewhat resembles a Cary Grant with his captain's hat cocked just so to the side-the Pelican became a magnet for the fishing crowd.

Carroll, who was carrying an engagement ring in his pocket that he hoped to slip on his lovely, Swedish girlfriend's finger, was the most popular of a host of captains who worked out of a dockyard once know (without a trace of irony) as "Fishangri-la." But perhaps the lovely weather that morning, the luck of past voyages where Carroll's customers were rewarded with big catches, or the knowledge that the season was coming to an end-and his new life about to start-lured Carroll into a false sense of security. The Pelican put out to sea with over 60 passengers, making it far too heavy to handle in the event of a sudden change in fortune. And, of course, that is precisely what happened to the Pelican, as the reader well knows before even starting the book.

But knowing the ending does not distract from the steadily building drama, and terrible foreboding, as Clavin introduces us, one by one, to the passengers, the crew of the Pelican, the surrounding cast of captains and mates on other boats, and those who wait back onshore. Among those captains, by the way, is the legendary Frank Mundus, who later became the world's most famous shark hunter and the model for Quint in Jaws. He is also an important, and fascinating figure in this book.

To say more about how it all ends would rob the reader of the story's harrowing, and yes, heart-breaking climax, as the storm builds and events overtake the Pelican. But suffice it to say, you are likely to shed a few tears as the characters who inhabit this story begin to plunge into the sea, and then fight for survival. Of course, there is heroism and horror aplenty, plus stupidity and amazing resourcefulness. In that regard, this book reminds us of the last moments in that super-hit film of the Titanic disaster, but thankfully, spares us all the ludicrous melodrama. Truth is always far more compelling, and Clavin is masterful at delivering the real deal.

Tom Clavin has done a fine job with a riveting narrative of the events before, during and after the accident with the Pelican. It must have been incredibly difficult to research this tragedy which took place in 1951, but the author brings it to life in a very readable and informative style.

When I was writing Ten Hours Until Dawn it was challenging enough because the sea rescue and tragedy I was writing about was 28 years old, so to think Tom Clavin made an event 54 years old read like it happened yesterday is really amazing.
Dark Noon is a must read for anyone who likes adventure, history, and maritime lore.

I liked the book, because the author was able to incorporate local color into an era that dates back over 50 years. Local and New York city news archives along with in depth interviews no doubt helps bring the reader into the 1950's time period. There were however some inaccurate historical facts included. This is why I rated it 4 stars. Anyone interested in maritime stories should pickup a copy.

Going up in the air, or out to sea (or building your city below sea level like New Orleans) means that once in a while nature takes offense and smites these people with something nasty. On Labor Day in 1951 the charter fishing boat Pelican faced a ferocious storm that blew in without warning. Overloaded with 62 passengers when half that would have been safe, the Pelican sank and most of them drowned.

Mr. Clavin has written a story that brings the story of the Pelican to life. He describes the atmosphere of New Yorkers catching the train out to the tip of Long Island and for $8 going fishing out on the Atlantic. He is able to make the book read like a good mystery, as if we didn't know what was going to happen.

He includes a discussion of the boat and its captain, the weather and how the sudden storm arose. He tells of the rescue of some of the passengers and what has happened to montauk since.

Comic book fans are going to love Death to the Centurion. It moves faster than a speeding bullet, and I couldn't put it down. That's because it tackles some issues that would make even the strongest superhero blink -- namely, how do you stop a comic book killer when you're the target?

Formerly an e-book, this has captured the comics world all too well-- and quite subversive of the current landscape. Pretty damn good for a first-time author, can't wait to read his next effort.

Here's an oddity--wdn't be surprised if it develops a cult following. Small publisher, first time author--definately obscure. But what fun! Here's a novel about the contemporary business of comics, and if yr really into comics, this will probly delight you. WHO ELSE wd write about such a thing? I mean, Kavalier Clay is fine, but it's historical. Here's a novel right on the cutting edge of what's happening among the despicable, devious SUITS that control the exciting medium of....COMICS!!!

So you'd think that a first novel essentially about a comic book publisher's plan to kill off a well-loved Superman-type character would have to be derivative. I mean how many times did DC -- the actual publisher of the actual Superman -- actually "kill" him off? But "Centurion" constantly surprises. You think, "oh yeah, greedy evil corporation out for profit, diva-like artist-creator, yeah I know who dunnit..." And surprise! you're wrong. Lively, nasty characters clearly cribbed from the writer's own corporate war stories clash over trivialities. Trivialities that mean big money in the Hollywood world of today. Like money? Like breakneck action and hard-boiled mystery? Buy Centurion and hope this guy has a second novel in the works.

Letty Cotton Pogrebin was born in 1939 in Jamaica, Queens, New York. She was raised in an observant Jewish home, and studied Torah and Talmud. When she was fifteen, her beloved mother died of cancer, and Ms. Pogrebin, because she was female, could not be counted to form the necessary "minyan" to say the traditional mourner's Kaddish, (prayer), for her own mother. Her father, who never seemed, or apparently cared, to understand how marginal and rejected she felt, called the synagogue and had another man sent to their home, where they were sitting shiva. Time has brought change to the Jewish religion. Today a woman can form a minyon, the group of ten Jews necessary to recite formal prayers, in Conservative, Reform, and Reconstructionist Movements. But these changes did not happen in time for Letty. A few years later, while she was still in college, her issues with her father, and with the male dominated Jewish religion, became intertwined. Her feelings about her "father and her faith merged." She writes, "I also cut off my formal affiliation with Judaism. Merge the Jewish patriarch with patriarchal Judiasm, and when you leave one, you leave them both."

"Deborah, Golda, And Me," is Letty Cottin Pogrebin's story of her struggle to reconcile her feminism with her Jewish faith. She writes with intelligence, passion, honesty, and eloquence about her determination to fight against being a marginal person in her religion, and in her life. This book, in a sense is a record of many of the battles waged in her war for personal and political power.

She was active early on in the women's movement and was the founding editor of Ms. Magazine. When she reflects on the broad purview of feminism in the 1960s and 1970s, she cannot explain why she felt no curiosity about the status of Jewish women or the problems of Jewish girls in less hospitable environments then those in which she grew up. "I don't know why I wasn't motivated to investigate religious sexism, or to integrate some of my private spiritual insights into my general feminist framework. Even if I did not choose to act as a Jew in the Women's Movement, why didn't I at least act as a feminist among Jews? Why didn't I join forces with Jewish women who were fighting for gender equality in the synagogue, where I was aware of the gender inequities?"

She fought for equal rights for women, all over the world, and against anti-Semitism. In 1975, at the first of three United Nations "International Women's Decade" Conferences, the delegates passed a resolution that effectively identified all Jews as racists. The "Zionism is racism" resolution - called the Declaration of Mexico, (the conference was held in Mexico City), took Letty by surprise. "I could not believe that supposed feminists who had been entrusted with the inauguration of a ten-year commitment to improving the status of all the world's women - and who were pledged to address the monumental problems of female infanticide, illiteracy, high mortality rates, abject poverty, involuntary pregnancies, domestic violence, and so on - could allow their agenda to be hijacked on behalf of this unspeakable PLO slogan."

This is a deeply personal account, told with much love. I especially appreciate Letty's anecdotes of Jewish holiday celebrations with family, while her mother was still alive. Ms. Pogrebin also demonstrates her knowledge in Torah and discusses worthy Biblical women from the Tanakh. As she grew older, she, along with women friends, began to create Jewish rituals around life cycle events meaningful to women.

Letty Cottin Pogrebin continues to struggle for the rights of women in society. She was always a woman who I admired. Now that I have read "Deborah, Golda And Me," I am truly a fan!

I enjoyed much of this book--particularly the parts about her family and their effect on her and her Judaism. The parts about Palestinians go on a bit long, and they were hard to read in light of more recent developments. A lot has happened in the last 10 years, and I wonder what she would have to say about this topic now.

This book was eye opening. As an Orthodox Jew and a feminist, there were many aspects of the this book I found hard to deal with. However, I have found that overall I was very impressed with the content of the book.

The author spends a lot of time reflecting on her own experience as a Jewish Woman in America, which was often very different from my own. However, when she got down to the nitty-gritty of being a Jewish woman, and the problems and issues therein, she hit the mark. I found myself reading excerpts in discussions with both male and female friends about the way women are treated in Judaism, especially in Orthodox circles.

As a mother, I found this book especially important as I raise my daughter to become a, G-d willing, enlightened Orthodox Feminist Jew.

This book, which was a bestseller, is certainly one of the most important books in both women's studies and Jewish studies. Written with love, with force, seamlessly incorporating meticulous research with the author's insightful wisdom, it is a book that will be read for many years to come. I bought 6 copies of this book for friends, and all agreed it was probably the best book of this ilk that they had read. Ms Progebin is an extraordinary writer, with a great heart, and the abilty to weave love into the most hardened or bitter of facts. To all women, and most especially to all Jewsish women, READ IT! You will be greatly helped.

Henry Has A Great book here that has held my interest and made me laugh every time I pick it up. I feel like I am right in the room with the people in the book and look forward to seeing what will happen next.
I have recomended this to my friends and family...cant wait for the next one Henry!
Jack

The humor is very dark and dry. Just my cup of tea. (Cups of dark tea figure in the story.) But the book is more than that. Exquisite passages of prose and fully realized characters pull you in and keep you going until the end. In fact, I didn't want it to end. And I want a Lena, too!

Henry Catenacci's "A Deed Without a Name" is a wonderful novel set in New York City. The writing is lyrical and beautiful and captivates the reader immediately. I loved the story because I lived in NYC and can relate to the dark, hilarious life and the characters that make the city, the characters and personalities that Henry has developed so beautifully. He gives it all to his novel and I recommend it highly. It is a great book by a great artist.

A wonderful book by a promising writer. The characters are well defined, the dialogue is witty and rings true, the plot is imaginative pulling you from one page to the next. I sat down over the weekend and read it from cover to cover.

One of these made it to the A&E series; as with other short stories, it would have been great to see the ensemble cast tackle the rest.

"Door to Death" was done by A&E, and we get to meet Andy Krusiecky, the man we'd all wished Theordore Horstmann could be. He's young, personable and a genius with the orchids...and suffers an awful loss.

"Man Alive" is about geyser-jumping. Not for the faint of heart...but his neice says that what looks to everyone like a suicide is really something else.

Finally, "Omit Flowers" is about a chef falsely accused of murder. You cannot beat food and murder in the Wolfe genre...but in the end, the way a woman feels about a man she loves who does not love her back tells the tale.

These are good stories, although you can detect a little "rushing" and lack of polish in some of the writing.

This edition boasts "As Seen on TV!" on the cover, alluding to the fact that one (as of the 2nd season) of the 3 stories herein has been adapted by A&E. The introduction is provided by Jonathan Kellerman, but otherwise the book is pure Stout. Archie provides a rare foreword, having noticed that Wolfe got a fee in only 1 of the 3 cases herein, to head off any funny ideas that might turn into a nuisance. :)

"Man Alive" - Cynthia Nieder, a young model getting hands-on experience as a fashion designer, not only inherited her uncle's half of Daumery & Nieder upon his death, but can supply the creative talent that was his contribution to the business. (Jean Daumery supplied the nuts-and-bolts business talent needed.) Cynthia wasn't surprised that uncle Paul killed himself within a week of Helen Daumery's death in a riding accident, since he'd been in love with her. (Although jumping naked into a geyser is an unusual method...)

That is, she wasn't surprised until she saw him in disguise a week ago in the audience at Daumery & Nieder's fall show, a few weeks after his partner Daumery's death in a boating accident. Did she really see him? Is the business as solvent as the creative side of the house thought it was? Who is trying to befuddle whom here?

"Omit Flowers" - Marko Vukcic, Wolfe's best friend, asks Wolfe to investigate the death of Floyd Whitten, who married the wealthy widow of the founder of the AMBROSIA fast-food chain, but not because of any care for the victim. Virgil Pompa, a once great chef forfeited any claim to professional respect when he took a high paying job in AMBROSIA administration, was once 'the best sauce man in France', and Marko owes him a lot. More, he knows Pompa well, and won't see him tried for a murder he didn't commit.

"Door to Death" - I recommend A&E's excellent, faithful adaptation with Maury Chaykin as Wolfe. Wolfe hardly ever leaves the brownstone, but a crisis has arisen: Theodore, the orchid nurse (as Archie calls him) is on an indefinite leave of absence due to his mother's critical illness. Not that Wolfe is worrying about old Mrs. Horstmann - with Theodore away, he can't just relax with the plants for a few hours a day; he has to *work*, and he's not a pro like Theodore.

Wolfe trudges all the way to Westchester with Archie, to tempt Andy Krasicki away from Mr. Joseph Pitcairn's orchids and into the brownstone for the duration. Andy is willing, and Wolfe, while happy to have his problem solved and to receive a tour of Mr. Pitcairn's orchids (as grown by Andy), might just as well have waited at home for a reply to his letter. But during the tour, they find Dani Lauer, Mrs. Pitcairn's nurse, dead under one of the orchid benches - apparently knocked out, then left to die during the previous night's fumigation. Wolfe sets to work to get his stand-in orchid tender out from under.

I cannot stop reading this book! The charactures are so vivid and real that I feel as though I am really there. Read this book!

"Three Doors to Death" is a collection of 3 short Nero Wolfe novels by Rex Stout. In "Man Alive", Cynthia Nieder asks Wolfe to find her uncle after seeing him in New York. Paul Nieder had "committed" suicide by jumping in a geyser. Before Wolfe can find him, Nieder is murdered. In "Omit Flowers", Mario Vukcic asks Wolfe to help clear his friend, Virgil Pompa who is accused of murdering Floyd Whitten. In "Door to Death", Theodore Horstmann takes a leave of absence, and Wolfe goes to Joseph Pitcairn to hire his orchid man until Theodore returns. While there, Dini Lauer, Mrs. Pitcairn's nurse, is found dead under an orchid bench. Wolfe feels obligated to solve the crime. All three of these short novels are excellent. The plots are strong. I always enjoy going into the old brownstone with Archie and Wolfe.

First published in 1976, and out of print fairly soon after (accidents fade quickly from public memory) this book is an exceptionally comprehensive and researched work focusing on the Turkish Airlines DC-10 crash of May 1974.

How did 346 people die such a tragic and somewhat brutal death in a forest just outside of Paris?

This book not only answers that question specifically in terms of the structural failure of the airliner, but perhaps just as importantly discusses the events leading up to the crash, and why and how it could and should have been avoided.

I must give full credit to the (British) Sunday Times Insight team for producing what I consider one of the most exceptional works of Journalism of the 20th century.

Most Engineering Students and indeed Engineers will find this book absolutely fascinating. Students of ethics might find it of considerable interest as well, as should the general reader.

*Destination Disaster* is a remarkable book of the politics in the (wide-body) commercial-aviation industry, and an accounting of the political warfare between McDonald Douglas and Lockheed Aircraft to gain acceptance of their designs during the early competition for wide-body commercial aircraft. One company, McDonald, pushed hard in Washington to prevent the technically more-advanced L1011 from being accepted in the commercial airline industry, only to see its candidate, the DC-10, later prove to be a safety nightmare. It is a spell-binding account of the troubles that ensued. In the end, Douglas' effort helped prevent acceptance of the L1011 for large-scale orders, and the plane ended production far too soon due to lowered order rate.

This out-of-print book is a must-read chronical of what happens behind the scenes in the highly competitive airline industry. It is well researched and written.

While it has been more than twenty years since I first read this book I have not stopped recommending it to my aviation-minded friends as the best of the breed. Encompassingly researched it sets its story amid the changing histories of the companies racing to be the first to bring a jumbo trijet to market. It meticulously details the engineering and, more critically, the marketing decisions that caused the DC-10 to be built with a fatal weakness that would be expressed so catastrophically (but not for the first time) in the skies near Paris. While satisfyingly replete with technical details it also is remarkably well written, referring for example, to a 747 taking off as "a cathedral in motion." It is an exciting book to read, one that had me knowingly shaking my head when a DC-10 expressed its heritage once again,losing an engine on take-off from Chicago.

Though it has been some twenty years since I read this book I have found it impossible to forget, a book that changed what I know. It would be, I imagine of interest to students of engineering and flight as well as a cautionary business tale. Though it is a nonfictional account of the jumbo trijet race is often reads like a whodunit and occassionally rises to the heights of great literature,e.g. describing a 747's take-off roll as " a cathedral in motion."

This story is amazing from the first page to the last. From Burke's rough childhood through her riveting years as a cop, it is impossible to put the book down. Hirschfeld delivers some powerful writing and allows every character to come across as they were, for better or for worse.

A female SERPICO story if there ever was one.

This story kept me in the edge, I couldn't put the book down. Thankfully it wasn't 1,000 pages, I stayed up all night just to finish it. ALL NYPD cops should be mandated to read this book.

"Detective" belongs on the same shelf as Robin Moore's "French Connection" and Peter Maas's "Serpico." Kathy Burke's career with the NYPD was exciting, contentious, tragic--yet ultimately groundbreaking and triumphant. Burke battled crooks, killers, corrupt cops, nasty superior officers, and her own demons. That she had the guts to deal with all that--and more--is the fuel that propels this compelling book.

This is a straight forward, kick you in the balls book of what it is like to be a woman cop.
The book concludes with a revelation of the two NYC rogue cops, Eppolito and Caracappa, who sold their souls to the Mafia and thus affected so many people's lives with their corrupt actions. This officer, Kathy Burke, was adversely affected in lifelonghorrible way. There's a great deal of undercover stories detailed here, sexual harrassment, love between cops--both plutonic and sexual. Officer Burke describes so much, including receiving the medal of Honor from Mayor Koch.
But in the end, she concludes, she has her self esteem and dignity. For the reader, its those two good for nothing turncoat cops that betrayed all that was good around them.

Jiji's novel, extremely well writen, is characteric of the modern day, urbanized woman's novel. Amazingly energectic and a fun must-read. Couldn't put the book down and had to finish.

I was blown away by the first novel of Jessica Jiji. Michelle is having to start over after breaking up with her boyfriend. Not only has she been dumped by the man that she thought she would marry, she also has to find a new and affordable place to live in New York City. This is a story of how Mish (as she is affectionately known by her sister) gets her life back on track and looks for a new love. Will she get together with Benny (or Bennett, the name he has adopted since he moved from NYC to the West Coast) the stoner turned QT lawyer/journalist. Will she get The Ring that she wants? Will she have to leave NYC to keep her job? This isn't just about her looking for love, this novel is about her life. Will we read this book again and again and wait anxiously until the next one by Jessica Jiji? That last one is an affirmative!

"Diamonds Take Forever" is the story of Michelle Benamou, a spunky, generously-proportioned radio producer. Michelle is the daughter of a Moroccan father and a European mother who clings to '60s radicalism, and she's all the while trying to figure out which of the three men in her life is right for her.

There's Joe, a macho New York City cop; Benny, a street-smart lawyer-turned-journalist; and Hammy, a sweet but not terribly attractive man who's in the radio business with her. At the beginning of the novel, Joe breaks up with Michelle because he doesn't want to get married, but later he's sending her roses, although the card is signed "Sincerely." Benny is going through a divorce on the opposite coast, in L.A. He's always saying how much he loves her, but she wants to know when he'll visit New York and when his divorce will be final. Hammy is more of a back-burner possibility, since she's not really into him. In desperation, she seeks out Fataha, an Arabic fortune teller.

This was interesting multi-cultural chick lit with a dash of romance at the end, but the beginning of the novel could have been stronger. The author takes a while to find her focus, and there's so much going on that I wasn't really hooked at first. However, the ending was strong and satisfying.

This story stands out from other formula chick-lit because the heroine's quest for Prince Charming is complicated not only by the usual obstacles, but by interesting cultural clashes within her family. This ethnic spice livens up the story and kept me reading until the end...very highly recommended!

Do not misinterpret the contents of this book when you read the title "Diet by Design;" because Diet by Design is not just another "diet book;" but rather, a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive health resource that teaches you about diet and nutrition, food and water safety, food combining, healthy eating tips; lifestyle factors, how to shop for, store, and prepare produce, and much, much more! Most other "diet books" present diets that do not work because you cannot wait to get off the diet and eat and eat and eat and eat [with the result of gaining the weight back and more]; however, Diet by Design is not like this because the pleasure of eating surpasses any junk food and fast food available and you can eat till you are satisfied and still lose weight, maintain your weight, or even gain weight if you need to.

Diet by Design has three main parts. Part 1 covers an enormous amount of subject matter. Part 2 is an extensive fruit guide [with nuts and seeds too] that provides you with buying, storing, and preparation tips that you would never have even considered. The guide is fully illustrated and has helped me to buy the best-tasting produce and has saved me a lot of money. Part 3 is a fantastic recipe guide that teaches you how to easily and quickly make all kinds of wonderful treats that are free from refined sugars, oils and fats [unless you use nuts or seeds], salt, and other harmful substances. The recipes are raw food recipes [although a few options are provided for those who want to eat bread and granola]. Vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike will be delighted and the recipes belong in every kitchen! I like the fact that there are recipes which take the place of store-bought ice creams, chocolate, and other candy and junk foods. There are all-natural recipes for smoothies, ice creams, fudge, toppings, sauces, salad dressings, guacamoles, soups, and more.

At the conclusion of the book are Scriptures relating to health and I found these extremely interesting even though I do not profess to be a Christian. The author also makes a statement in the book about Jesus and this did not bother me in the least, especially after seeing the Mel Gibson movie about Christ.

I cannot argue with anything presented in the book; and, I am a little embarrassed to say that I actually learned thousands of things that I never knew!

One final note: the author promotes protection of animals and the environment. The facts and positions that he presents have made me more conscious of animal husbandry and the need to preserve the environment.

Do not misinterpret the contents of this book when you read the title "Diet by Design;" because Diet by Design is not just another "diet book;" but rather, a one-of-a-kind, comprehensive health resource that teaches you about diet and nutrition, food and water safety, food combining, healthy eating tips; lifestyle factors, how to shop for, store, and prepare produce [in a wonderful recipe section], and much, much more! Most other "diet books" present diets that do not work because you cannot wait to get off the diet and eat and eat and eat and eat [with the result of gaining the weight back and more]; however, Diet by Design is not like this because the pleasure of eating surpasses any junk food and fast food available and you can eat till you are satisfied and still lose weight, maintain your weight, or even gain weight if you need to.

Diet by Design has three main parts. Part 1 covers an enormous amount of subject matter. Part 2 is an extensive fruit guide [with nuts and seeds too] that provides you with buying, storing, and preparation tips that you would never have even considered. The guide is fully illustrated and has helped me to buy the best-tasting produce and has saved me a lot of money. Part 3 is a fantastic recipe guide that teaches you how to easily and quickly make all kinds of wonderful treats that are free from refined sugars, oils and fats [unless you use nuts or seeds], salt, and other harmful substances. These fabulous recipes belong in every kitchen [whether you are a vegetarian or non-vegetarian]. I like the fact that there are recipes that take the place of store-bought ice creams, chocolate, and other candy and junk foods. There are all-natural recipes for smoothies, ice creams, fudge, toppings, sauces, salad dressings, guacamoles, soups, and more.

At the conclusion of the book are Scriptures relating to health and I found these extremely interesting even though I do not profess to be a Christian.

I cannot argue with anything presented in the book; and, I am a little embarrassed to say that I actually learned thousands of things that I never knew!

One final note: the author promotes protection of animals and the environment. The facts and positions that he presents have made me more conscious of animal husbandry and the need to preserve the environment.

Diet by Design has it all: Diet, Nutrition, Lifestyle, Health, Shopping, and Recipes! An enormous amount of wonderful, important, and edifying information is presented which is easy to put into practice. In Part 1, some of my favorite sections are Healthy Eating Tips, Avoiding Chemicals and Genetically Modified foods, Food Combining, and the information regarding animal foods and factory farming. Part 2 of Diet by Design is an essential resource which teaches you all that you need to know about fruits, nuts, seeds, and vegetable-fruits! It is illustrated and each item is thoroughly described - even exotics that you may across while traveling to other countries. Also, in Part 2, nutrients within each food are provided and there are hundreds of buying, storing, and serving suggestions which you have never even considered! Additionally, warnings about what to avoid are given. By following the advice you are not only able to obtain the highest quality produce; but, you also save much money and prevent waste - and this makes you feel efficient and productive. The tips and suggestions outlined in Part 2 have paid for my book hundreds of times over within a few years.

Part 3, The Recipe Guide, shows you how to make delicious, healthful alternatives for many otherwise un-healthful treats such as shakes, candy, puddings, ice cream, dressings, etc, etc.
No refined sugar, "free-fats", animal foods, preservatives, or additives. Great for children, teens, and adults!

Diet by Design is truly unique and there is not another book quite like it. This book is for people of every age and has plenty to offer to new health seekers and also health experts.

An excellent book!!! Finally I can shop for fresh produce with confidence. Using tips from this book I now have the knowledge to determine if produce is fresh, ripe, and safe to eat. I am no longer having to dispose of fruits and vegetables as I am able to shop wisely and store them properly. We have saved alot of money as result. I am also very pleased to see healthy, natural recipes for treats that my kids love. I would recommend this book highly!

I'm guessing that there are many Americans who would enjoy and long for a trip to every state. Most of us will never do it in which case, it's fun to read about another's adventure. Priscilla Rhodes' book, Discover America Diaries, Vol. 1, is an armchair traveler's delight. Not only is the book fun to read, but it provides a real education about what this country holds. It is a uniquely personal account, as it should be, but it also mirrors the ups and downs of all our lives and especially I would think, the lives of anyone who takes to the road in search of education, adventure and themselves. If you do decide to hit the road, read this book first. It will give you hope that you can have a great time even if, like Priscilla and her husband, you know absolutely nothing about what you are about to do.

Hop in the passenger seat and bounce along the open road with Priscilla and Ken as they cover 15 states in a 30-foot RV. This personal journal proves to be a descriptive, easy-to-read travelogue that takes the reader across America from sea to shining sea. If you live in one of the states, have visited these states or long to see the beauty of the American countryside this is sure to inspire a sense of wanderlust. The authors venture off the tourist trap route and focus more on the obscure claims to fame of each of the states they visit. A unique look at each of the state capitals also makes this a great classroom supplement for U.S. Geography or History classes. For anyone who loves road trips, this travel essay is sure to bring about stories of "remember when." Review by JoAnna Carey, Rat Race Relaxer: Your Potential & The Maze of Life

I'm in awe of Priscilla Rhodes's ability to describe not only the sights, sounds and adventures she and husband Ken experienced as they traveled America, but also the refreshing spontaneity and honesty of her emotions and reactions to each place and person along the path. Her accounting of sidetrips and highlights is delightful: From museums, landmark buildings and historical state capitols to deep dark fir forests, spectacularly colored mesas, sparkling, snowy mountains and brilliant sunsets. Who can forget the candy-colored lady in the laundry room or the seven-year-old boy who survived an accidental trip over Horsehoe Falls? The book is a joy ride with moments of surprise and even heart-gripping suspense (such as that at the Gates of the Mountains at Helena). Reading the Discover America Diaries is like happily stealing away in Priscilla's pocket for the entire length of the journey, through all its hills and valleys. Thank you, Priscill Rhodes, for an unexpectedly delightful trip.

Back in the 1980s, there was an Albert Brooks movie about a couple of Yuppies who ditched the high-paced rat race, cashed in their nest egg, bought an RV and decided to discover America and themselves through a year-long road trip. They got as far as Las Vegas where the wife gambled away all their money. Later on, they ended up in some boring town with low-grade jobs. Nobody liked the ending.

A much happier ending has befallen Priscilla Rhodes and her husband Ken. Having quit their jobs in 1998 they bought a red truck and an attached trailer and set out for a few years of nomadic existence to discover the country. The result was a website devoted to postcards from the road called www.postcardsfrom.com which later led to this book. The couple actually sent e-mail postcards to people on their subscription list. The postcards became popular, as did the thumbnail sketches of the places they visited. After USA Today and The Christian Science Monitor lauded the website, their subscription base skyrocketed. Eventually this book evolved from their first trip: one that covered the northern route.

The diaries switch back and forth between personal accounts of their life on the road (and before), musings about society and deft descriptions of the monuments, towns, events and byways they encounter. Luckily for the reader, most of the personal accounts are very funny, and the descriptions are right on the money. Priscilla writes the diaries and the postcards while Ken takes the photographs and designs and emails the cards.

It seems Priscilla has the perfect husband. Not only can he handle a truck with a trailer weaving behind it (I personally avoid those things like the plague when I see them on the highway) he can also photograph,create a website, do professional book layout and fashion a very handsome book without benefit of high-price book designers.

So whether they are shivering in the cold, waiting for the sun to rise on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park, baking in the heat when caught in Chicago traffic in their truck (which apparently is not air-conditioned) or climbing over buffalo dung in the Badlands, you will enjoy their journey and learn a lot about America, trailer parks, state capitols and various monuments. A very enjoyable read.