News and Magazines Books

It's a very thorough, well researched cookbook. Very good for a new cook because recipes have been tested and retested. Recipes are pretty much in the 'no fail even if you try' category.

I love to read this book. I just brought this book, so I've not a chance to try any recipes in this book yet. Eventhough this book doesn't have any beautiful finished food pictures shown inside, I enjoyed to read. I just realise that I love to read people tell story about the food, how the recipe come up, than just put only recipes in the cooking book with beautiful fake pictures, but in reality the recipes didn't work. I will try some recipes soon.

This cookbook was loaned to me and as I was looking through it realized I had to have my own copy. I also got a copy for my nephew who is a good cook and getting married soon. I thought it would be a great gift for him and his bride. This book covers all the basics with easy recipes and great illustrations.

First I will start by saying that I have never followed Cooks Illustrated or understood the belabored recipe-testing involved for this book. I have passed it up many times because the recipes looked too basic, and not gourmet or innovative. Boy, was I wrong! I was lucky to find a copy of this little gem at a discount store at third off the cover price, and it was worth every cent! The detailed journey taken by the test kitchen beginning each recipe is so helpful, and I enjoy learning what didn't work, and why. This book is loaded with helpful hints that are easy to follow. The chewy chocolate chip cookie recipe was truly amazing, and I've made three batches already! I've never had blueberry muffins that were memorable, until I tried the ones in this book. Amazing. The double chocolate chunk cookies were equally superb. I can't wait to try some of the entres. If they are as tried and true as the baked goods, then this volume will become a standard reference in my home. I have also purchased The New Best International Recipe and Baking Illustrated. I have many cookbooks, and few are as reliable. This book saves you the time of making something that comes out mediocre and money for ingredients that inevitably get thrown away. As an avid cookbook collector, I can honestly say that it's been a long time since I've bought a book that makes me this enthusiastic about trying every recipe cover to cover. If the entres turn out as fantastic, then I will be posting many of my old cookbooks for you on Amazon!

Every single recipe in this book is amazing, and extremely easy to follow.
Along with the recipes themselves is plenty of information and illustrations explaining the science behind certain ingredients, equipment and cooking methods.

The book reads like the television series, which is fantastic. Everything about this book blows me away.

I can't say enough...This book is, and I mean this, just as good as "The Joy of Cooking". Seriously.

I bounce between those two and ignore the 50 or so other cookbooks I now own.

Thanks to Cooks Illustrated for making me a GOOD chef!

Wonderful experience. Seller worked out all the details with me and I was so pleased with the purchase. Would definitely refer others to him and also buy from him again. Thanks so much.

Pictures. These will remind you. Haunting. Sad. Heart wrenching. Moving. These words won't do it for you. The book will give you more. Over 3000 people died that day. This book will help you to never forget what happened to them and us.

The point comes across, but I think there is plenty of other work that should have been included.

A message to each and every reviewer who takes time to add thoughts to a any media of memorial of 9/11, World Trade Center Towers tragedy... thank you from my heart.

My spouse and I resided on the Lower West Side, Battery Park City, Gateway Plaza, So. End Ave. As survivors of the 9/11 World Trade Center Towers tragedy... From our Gateway Plaza apartment, facing the street and 300 yards from the Towers, we helplessly witnessed all from our apartment windows. The closeness of the Towers viewed from our windows - gave an illusion that one could reach out and touch the Towers; their beauty with night lights reaching toward the sky promoted a contemplative emotion.

We viewed the planes entering the Towers, the overwhelming inferno, individuals jumping, the collapse of the Towers, the darkness as debris hit our windows with a fury. What occurred over a period of hours, seemed like a much shorter time span. The darkness was darker than an eclipse, darker than the darkest night; and then a momentary hush after the air cleared. Viewing the roof garden one floor below, with the human reaction of looking out to see if someone might be on that roof garden and in need of help. Debris strewn everywhere, recording tape and paper hung from the trees of the garden and oh, so much ash. The momentary hush, whether real or imagined, then the viewing of debris for a second, fantasized that a parade had just passed by on our short street. I now really understand the expression a "feeling of helplessness", I couldn't fix what had just happened.

We vacated our apartment finally at 5:15 p.m. that day, waiting for someone to knock on our door, with only a battery radio to keep us abreast of happenings. "In a New York minute", we evacuated via the stairwell touched with ash, the result of a first floor door left open. With a few belongings, gathered with a tad of thought of what was being left behind, we stepped out of the door onto the pavement, seeing and standing in ever so much ash & debris, I wanted to turn around and go back to our home. It was one moment of reality in time, I carry to this day.

We planned to walk up the East Side, glimpsed the tired fire, police, volunteers, and med techs in our immediate driveway and street, so instead opted to pass through the building in back of the apartment complex. We gained access to the Esplanade walking the short distance to reach the Hudson River North Cove dock. We were escorted to the New Jersey shore via New York Police boat. From the boat deck, we viewed even more damage to the Manhattan skyline, especially noting the zigzag shape of the side of the American Express building, housed in one of the World Financial Center buildings along with the glorious Winter Garden, as well as the fall of World Trade Center Building 7. We were taken to the Jersey City Hospital, attended to by compassionate staff. Then traveled by National Guard truck to Hoboken, NJ where we were housed by a wonderful family who with great trust welcomed strangers to their home.

On Friday 9/14, our eldest son & daughter-in-law drove from New Hampshire via New Jersey routes to Hoboken for transport us to New Hampshire for temporary residence with our daughter, who along with her friend and our youngest son, greeted us with open arms & the overwhelming feeling of not wanting to let go with each hug that followed. Our daughter and son had spent that Friday in New Hampshire collecting items of clothing and necessities which the Concord community generously opened their hearts and donated by churches, stores, individuals, employers, American Red Cross, et al.

One of our grandchildren -- he was 8 at that time - arrived home from a few days with his Dad. He hugged us so tight, understanding the depth of 9/11 events for someone so young and yet so wise. He told Grandpa & Babcia that he had something for them... his Mom was not even aware of his gift. He had spoken to his classmates about his grandparents' closeness in location of the World Trade Center Towers. Presented to us was a large envelope full of hand-made cards from each of his classmates. And if that isn't love and caring, I don't know what is - from the hearts and minds of children!

Residing now in New Hampshire, not because of 9/11 drove us away, but circumstances just went that way as we continue to put our lives into perspective.

We Miss - New York City deeply; events found nowhere else in the USA, the introduction to & interaction with so many wonderful cultures. There isn't a day or night over these years that we do not think of 9/11... the Lady of Liberty & Ellis Island both on the merge of the East and Hudson Rivers. And that Lady of Liberty wept, I just know it, & still stands with pride that the USA is a democracy that will prevail.

We Remember - the victims, the survivors, their friends and families, the workers from the public and private sector, the volunteers, our neighbors in Gateway Plaza and staff in the small group of stores on South End Avenue, Battery Park City.

We Remember - the places we visited, the book signings attended, the celebrities we met, the concerts and theater plays, the movies, the arts, the parks, the strangers we talked with, on streets, on subway and those while standing in line for an event...

We Remember - Always In Our Hearts, Forever In Our Souls, Heroes, Victims, Survivors One and All... We Were There.

Painfully, the lump in my throat and the twist in my stomach, the tears in my eyes and the pain in my heart, to the depth of my soul, forever reside.

LIFE has done a first class job of putting together a book covering this horrific act by such a cowardly enemy.Rather than to make the Americans cower as these fanatics probably thought and probably thought and hoped for;it showed what a good and strong nation it is.History will remember both 9/11 and Pearl Harbor for the terrible and misguided acts of hatred they were.
This act conjours up different thoughts for everyone who witnessed it ,in whatever fashion,but no more so than those who had friends and particularly those who lost loved ones.
To those who may turn a little soft on the War on Terror a review of this book should remind one of what we are dealing with.
A great book TIME and thanks.

Mr. Yagoda presents the results of his exhaustive research with clarity and style. It's a compelling story and makes a great companion to the Kunkel books on Ross. I particularly enjoyed learning more about Shawn and the Shawn years at the NYer, since many of my favorite writers were nurtured under his watch. The best one-book history of the NYer I know of.

Disclaimer: I love The New Yorker. I have been a dedicated subscriber for ten years (and I am only twenty-six), and I read the magazine for years before subscribing under my own name.

Given my disclaimer, perhaps my five-star rating is self-evident. But not necessarily: As a lover of the magazine, I approached this text skeptically. I was interested in an unbiased review, yes, but likely I would have been wounded by a wholeheartedly negative portrayal.

Yagoda loves TNY even more than I do, if that's possible, yet he truthfully approaches his biography of the magazine. The ugliest facts are laid bare, but in a sympathetic whole.

TNY writers, editors, and staff members are lovingly recreated; Yagoda writes so well that I felt I knew these people, I understood these people, and I physically missed them after turning the last page. Like others who have reviewed this book, I wanted more--more, more, more. I felt astonished and sad to have finished the book. Were it a novel, I'd beg for a sequel, even knowing that sequels rarely live up to the original. Even a second-best second-tome would be better than missing the people and the institution that this book brings to life.

Admittedly, TNY readers will love this book vastly more than those unacquainted with its pages. However, if you are even beginning to approach the magazine, you must read this book. You will understand the weekly journal better than you do now, and you will appreciate it far more. I certainly do.

Bravo, Yagoda!

There are at least two ways to view Ben Yagoda's book ABOUT TOWN: 1) as the history of The New Yorker Magazine, how it was conceived and developed and changed over time, and 2) as a social document reflecting its times. The subtitle of the book "and the World it Made" does not seem quite as accurate unless one considers that "world" to be the corporate culture created by the staff led by Ross and Shawn, the two longtime editors who built the magazine. The New Yorker certainly has influenced the world within which it existed along with many other magazines.

Harold Ross, the founder and first editor of the magazine, with the help of Katherine and E.B.White, Thurber, Dorothy Parker, and many other fine editors and writers launched the magazine in the 1920s. The sophisticated and literary focus of the magazine soon captured the fancy of New Yorkers. During the hard days of the depression the magazine actually gained subscribers as readers enjoyed the humorous repartee and cartoons that helped them laugh at their troubles. Many new readers learned of the magazine during WWII as it was handed around the barracks. The GI bill produced many educated readers who remembering their wartime contact with the magazine now subscibed to it. Following WWII, the magazine included more and more "social conscience" articles, for example, John Hershey's essay on "Hiroshima."

Ross died in the early 1950s, and during the fifties under the editorship of William Shawn, the magazine became relatively banal according to Yagoda who says it appealed to stay-at-home wives who enjoyed articles that reminded them of their college days (among other pieces, Mary McCarthy's tales of her Italian travels were featured). In the 1960s, the magazine once again became more vocal about social issues and the environment.

Yagoda says the best years of the magazine came in the 1970s when writers like Woody Allen wrote wonderful wacky pieces and investigative journalists covered the scandals in
Washington. Following a downturn in subscriptions in 1980s, the magazine was purchased by a media mogul and William Shawn departed. With Tina Brown's arrival, the magazine metamorphed into a Conde Nast publication. Garrison Keillor's comments about Brown's arrival (as he left) are amusing.

Over the years, I have read John Updike, Alice Munro, Jamaica Kincaid, Katherine White, and many of the writers who once wrote for the New Yorker. When I was a child, my mother used to quote Dorothy Parker regularly ("Rivers are damp..."), but I had no idea Parker wrote for The New Yorker until years later (we lived in a rural area and subscribed to the Progressive Farmer!!). When I read Rachel Carson's SILENT SPRING, it changed my life, but I read it in book form when it was first published as a Book of the Month Club selection. I only became aware of The New Yorker magazine when I was in my thirties and a college writing instructor suggested it. Yagoda says many people discovered the magazine when they were students.

As a social document, The New Yorker articles very much reflect the times, and to some extent, at least under Ross, the magazine seemed to be ahead of the times. In reading this book, I was reminded of National Public Radio, which seems to be the main innovator in broadcast journalism these days--though I am told there are all sorts of happenings on the Internet. The in-depth news stories, the essays by various knowledgeable citizens, the political commentaries and Garrison Keilor are all comparable to The New Yorker magazine.

If you are interested in a snapshot of the 20th Century from an educated New Yorker magazine perspective, or in writing and magazine development in general, you will find much of interest in this book. The tales concerning the origins of many innovative features of the magazine are quite good.

Yagoda suggests the magazine pretty much ended with Shawn's departure in the late 1980s. He devotes eight pages at the end of the book to the three editors who followed Shawn. He says the median age of the readership grows older every year (not replacing subscribers) and most of current readership as such is owing to the retention of loyal readers. He quotes some of these readers who no longer actually read the magazine but have not given up their subscriptions. His book goes a long way toward explaining to me why I dropped my subscription a few years ago.

There are two types of writers: those who aspire, no, dream of being published in the "New Yorker", and those who, after several rejections, bitterly deride the very institution they hoped to conquer. I am solidly of the first camp, though give it a few years and I might be a latter-day grouch.

The work of Ben Yagoda brings the magazine alive, from the heyday of such luminaries as Thurber and White to the tough war years, right up through the Shawn era and even right up to (for 1999) the present. Through it all, Yagoda examines the many lives who devoted themselves to this literary exercise in humor and good faith. The most compelling character studies, however, are the two main editors throughout the magazine's history, Harold Ross and William Shawn.

Ross, who founded the magazine in 1925 and managed it through its first twenty-six years, comes across as a gruff, thoroughly Western man who nonetheless saw the need for a magazine like "The New Yorker", and brought it to being through sheer will and fortitude. He also happened to publish significant works by James Thurber, E.B. White, and J.D. Salinger among others. Shawn, taking the reins after Ross's death in 1951, saw the magazine through 30+ years of challange and triumph, only to be forced out in 1987. Throughout the book, Yagoda makes these men the central focus of his tale, but he includes brief looks at literary and other lights of the twentieth century, some who did get published (like Donald Barthleme, Veronica Geng, and John Updike) and some who didn't (Tom Wolfe, whose scandelous expose on the magazine shook it out of its fuddiness).

Overall, the book looks fondly back at the magazine's past, with a hint that it might never reach the same heights of importance it once had. That may very well be, but there's still something to be said for a magazine that is such an institution no one could imagine starting a writing career without considering the possibility of submitting to it.

"The New Yorker" is still the premier magazine in America, and this book explains why, after almost a century, it still carries the weight it does.

"About Town", by Ben Yagoda chronicles the majority of the 80+ years, "The New Yorker", has been contributing its unique journalistic culture to everyone, including, "The old lady in Debuque". Mr. Yagoda's book stands out from many books that have been offered to readers about the magazine for while he certainly is aware of the contributions the magazine has made for over 8 decades; he does not seem to be in awe of it or the people to the point it affects his writing. He clearly admires the magazine, but this does not stop his including a wealth of information that documents the eccentric personalities that shaped the magazine. Some may not find the notes flattering, but he objectively shows some of the magazines famous quirks without committing the blasphemy of a young Thomas Wolfe.

The list of writers who either became major or occasional contributors, reads like an amalgam of winners of the highest literary awards that have been offered. The list of those names repeatedly rejected expands the list even further. The book contains dozens of examples of the famous rejection letters that often are almost apologetic about turning down a piece of work while always writing in the first person plural. Having a piece selected by, "The New Yorker", was often considered the ultimate indicator that a new writer had arrived, that he or she had entered the pantheon of the magazine's literary legends. This was true even if the work accepted for publication may not have appeared for months, or even several years. The reception of the envelope stating a writer's work had been admitted was all many authors needed to have their work given unique value and cachet, publication was a bonus.

Mr. Yagoda also spends a good amount of his book on the cartoons, their artists, and the painful process that started with an idea only to have to run a gauntlet to be published. As hard as this path may have been, the scrutinizing that a written piece received is almost beyond imagining. It is understandable that first time contributors would have their worked scoured and polished, but when some of the 20th Century's finest writers nearly drew blood over commas the action within the building must have been spectacular. There is a story of one writer who sat outside the editor's office for almost 5 hours over the issue of a single comma. This World War I trench warfare standoff continued until the early hours of the next morning. The editor capitulated, but noted to the writer, "you are still wrong".

The story of this fascinating magazine could fill many volumes. If your starting place for gathering an overview of this institution, its editors, staff and writers, is this book, you will have chosen very well. Mr. Yagoda has written a great tribute to those he has chronicled.

This is the one cookbook that has not gone on the shelf, but instead sits on the corner of the counter. So far I've made the beef burgundy, pan roasted chicken, smothered pork chops, lemon meringue pie, macaroni and cheese, nachos with salsa and guacamole, and more. I'd've done more in the past two weeks, but I do have a job to go to. These may not sound like extraordinary recipes - they're all in my Betty Crocker cookbook or Good Housekeeping cookbook - but this is the cookbook that tells you the how and why, what works and what doesn't work (based on their own testing, which is an interesting read in itself). One of the things I like most is that they make an honest effort and usually succeed at restricting themselves to ingredients found in nearly every supermarket. Serving sizes are extremely generous. I ate nachos for four days --- luckily, they were delicious.

I do wish they would include nutritional analyses. These recipes are all about taste and optimal preparation to ensure the best results; nothing particularly low cal or low carb and certainly not low fat here; and it doesn't purport to be a diet cookbook. That's okay, but it would still be nice to have the numbers. And it would be nice if they would test a few ways of cutting calories and/or carbs and/or fat while developing the best recipe.

As a novice, I also got tripped up in the pan roasted chicken because the recipe didn't give me even a clue as to how long the pieces would be in the oven; I guessed about 30 minutes but turned out to be 50 minutes to get to temperature, which threw off the timing on the side dishes...minor, novice issue.

Finally, I also subscribe to Cook's Illustrated published by the same people. In the Nov/Dec issue was an incredible recipe for pumpkin cheesecake (beg, borrow or steal it from someone). Their technique explanation ranted about the wonders of cooking a cheesecake in a waterbath. Indeed it made a great difference. But in this cookbook, there's a recipe for a New York Style Cheesecake with no mention of a waterbath. I'm not a pro, so maybe the different techniques deliver two distinct textures, but it was curious why both ways aren't discussed in the cookbook since they touted it in the magazine (or vice versa).

I've bought a couple pieces of their recommended equipment and believe they've been right on target there too.

It's an impressive book that has pursuaded me to buy both the Italian Classics Cookbook and the cookbook for the 2002 television series. Looking forward to receiving those soon.

As a beginner with cooking, this book has led me places I never thought I'd go. It has been a guide for the basics and an inspiration for the heights. And meanwhile it saves me money by steering me away from useless gadgets and fad techniques.

This is my third Amerca's Test Kitchen cookbook. In all of the meals that I have cooked using these books, I have never had a flop. As a male and a physician, I really appreciate the "clinical" approach to cooking that ATK applies. Want to make good, gooey chocolate cookies? Then try a dozen different methods and see what works best. They have used this method for all of their recipes, and the reaults are tremendous.

ATK avoids pretentious cuisine. They aim to make the best steak, best french-fries; things that my kids will eat. Yet, some of my favorite meals for guests come from the book as well. (Twice-coked potatoes with pesto...mmmm). Even though I live in a small town in a remote area, I have always been able to find the ingredients they suggest.

They have a "Consumer Reports"-like approach to rating ingredients and equipment. What a delight when Morton's table salt out-performs...sea-salt in blinded taste-testing.

I can't wait for next year's book to come out!

As someone who consider's themselves an elite "home chef", I stopped using recipe books years ago and just built on the basics that I'd gleaned from reading what I considered the "essential" cookbooks. Then, one stormy Saturday afternoon when the husband was at work and the kids were away at Grandma's, I stumbled on America's Test Kitchen on PBS. Needless to say, I loved what I saw.

Now I am a Cook's Illustrated fan. I have not come across anything done by these folks that isn't absolute quality cooking instruction - no matter what your level of cooking expertise. That's because ATK doesn't just write the recipes - they write articles and background about every recipe that breaks down each element of the recipe and explains why certain ingredients, techniques and equipment work so much better than others in producing the best tasting recipe. Even if you never follow an America's Test Kitchen or Cook's Illustrated recipe step-by-step, the things you learn just by reading the recipe books can be carried over into all of your cooking. If, like me, you are a non-recipe cook, there is still much to be learned here.

"Here in America's Test Kitchen" carries on the standard of excellence that Cook's Illustrated has established for itself. Detailed recipes that are actually essays about what goes into creating each recipe and why certain ingredients and methods are used will elevate the level of every home cook - regardless of your current level of expertise.

This book contains some of the best recipes I've ever had. The BBQ Rib recipe prepared with a dry rub and slow cooked over a smoky grill is simply the best rib recipe I've ever made - spicy, smokey, fall of the bone tender with a wonderful crisp skin on the outside. At a recent 4th of July party, these ribs and the ATK buffalo wings were a huge hit. And the cookie jar favorites - chewy, flavorful double chocolate cookies and ginger cookies are family favorites. The recipes here aren't always the quickest, the cheapest or the lowest in fat and calories, but if you are looking for the best in flavor and texture, with America's Test Kitchen you can't go wrong.

I have been watching this series on PBS and the book is just a delightful. The receipes are pretty easy to follow, ingredients are available in most grocery or gourmet shops. Plus they have done all the testing and we get to prepare the perfect combinations! Highly recommend it, especially as a gift!

A very enjoyable book. Just the high quality reproduction of the covers would make this a great book.
A richly savory festival of imagination, creativity, insight (cultural, sociological, philosophical, etc.) and, of course, delightful humor and splendiferous transcendental artwork. Lots of charming tidbits including photos, extra art reproductions, etc.
Thanks Frank and The Usual Gang for this inundation of funshine and good cheer!

(After you've seen the covers you'd probably like to peek inside). Check out: Absolutely MAD Magazine - 50+ Years

If there are better sight gags than those on the cover of Mad magazine, then I have yet to see them. This book is a collection of the first 400 covers and some of them had me hysterical with laughter. My favorite was the one where Alfred is holding a hard taco shell behind a Mexican dog that is straining mightily. Others were just as funny, although some did require explanation. The producers of the magazine were not above applying a little duplicity when creating the covers.
The only drawback for younger readers will be that knowledge of the current events of the time is a precondition if you are to get the joke. For example, some covers feature political figures, and if you don't know anything about them, the joke is lost. Other covers are spoofs of hit movies of the time, so the explanatory captions are a welcome addition. Having lived through those times, I understood most of them, but there were a few times when I didn't understand the joke until I read the caption.
This book is very funny and you cannot help but be impressed by the quality of the artwork and the zany intelligence that went into the covers of Mad. The producers of Mad constantly lampooned themselves as idiots, but they were without question geniuses.

this book is well designd and gives all the information about the covers over the years, including notes about the spacial covers.
i highly recomand this book to any mad reader.

I loved this book , mostly because Im a mad magazine FAN!!! BUY THIS BOOK!!!!!!!! GREAT BOOK

The first copy of Mad I saw was issue 29 in September 1956 (still got it too) and I was hooked. How could a magazine be so funny and be so spot-on with its satire? Easy, just employ the `usual gang of idiots' that's how. I kind of grew out of it when I discovered the National Lampoon, how could a magazine be so funny etc, etc. But I have always had a soft spot for Mad and this book of covers is a super addition to my back issues and other Mad books.

All 399 (up to November 2000) covers are in this well designed and printed book Mostly one or two covers to a page sometimes with Frank Jacobs' commentary and with a lot of the latter covers you get to see the preliminary cover roughs. As the years go by you can see how the covers changed from simple visual gags into ones that are much more graphic and busy because they have to work harder on the newsstand. The ideas are still very funny after all these years though. My favorite is issue 35 (October 1957) a wraparound that celebrated the fifth anniversary with a great painting from Norman Mingo showing a few dozen very famous American merchandising characters seated round a dining table, Alfred's at one end grinning. I would love this as a poster.

I think it is worth mentioning for Mad fans the seven CD-ROM `Totally Mad' set, every page from the issue one thru to December 1998, the interface is very user friendly and the discs have a lot of additional aural and visual surprises.

BTW, Robert Silver's photmosaic book cover, made up from the magazines covers, is stunning.

***FOR AN INSIDE LOOK click 'customer images' under the cover.

I first bought this book as I considered opening a vintage goods shop with my mother. It was such a good resource, we each wanted our own copy. I found the information to be very useful as we mapped out our business plan and eventually opened our little shop.
The shop eventually closed when we had to give up our location, and cancer claimed Mom's life. I have been feeling the urge to have a shop again lately, and wanted to re-read the book. Apparently I've lent it to someone who never returned it to me! Mom's copy was nowhere to be found either, so I ordered another copy. A small price to pay for the information and guidance imparted within.

I just found this charming, useful and inspirational book on sale at a local book store. This collaborated effort by a Victoria Magazine contributor and successful small business owners like Debby DuBay, retired United States Air Force officer, was absolutely inspirational and had so many useful tips for a new business owner such as myself. I found information on my business plan and the small business administration, etc. In addition, I tried to contact many of the contributors to the book, but most I could not contact. I boldly contacted Ms. DuBay who enthusiastically provided me with many helpful tips on my new business! I love this book and highly recommend it for all! It is a timeless book!

Purchased this book in Limoges Antiques Shop, Andover, MA from one of the contributors; Debby Dubay, ret, USAF and author of her own series on collecting Limoges porcelain. This book is remarkable and if you are considering starting your own business or turning your passion into a profession this book is a must. Debby DuBay credits The Business of Bliss and Victoria Magazine for her success - but her input was invaluable with the success of this publication.

Wow! If you need a guide on how to turn your passion into a profession - I recommend this book. The experts have been used to provide input, and I love Debby DuBay's story in this book and in The Business of Bliss. The information provided about the Small Business Association is the best and I received a low documentation loan following the outline in this book! I owe my success to Janet and Ms DuBay. Highly recommend this book.

Written by the editors of Victoria Magazine who collaborated with successful women such as author, shop owner, retired Air Force Officer and Veteran Debby DuBay this book is a must. I have tried getting in contact with Victoria Magazine to no avail, but a few of the women they highlighted are still available to mentor women like myself. I am a professional woman who wanted to turn a passion into a career and Ms DuBay has been my mentor. Thanks to this book I was able to contact her. Highly recommend this book.

Beautiful pictures and interesting, informative articles make this book a must for anyone who is allured by the beauty of turquoise. I read the book in one setting, and while it is a good place to start, I found myself wanting more information. If you collect turquoise or just wear it because you love it, do yourself a favor and get educated about vintage, pawn, and newer creations; natural stones vs. stablized stones, and even fake stones. You'll find this book helpful.

"The Allure of Turquoise" is made up of a collection of articles on turquoise, its history and the Native American mythology surrounding this stone. I was particularly fascinated by one article about ants and their relationship with turquoise. Nevertheless, although this is an informative and interesting book, if you are looking for a guide to collecting turquoise or turquoise jewellery, I'd begin withTurquoise Unearthed: An Illustrated Guide (Rocks, Minerals and Gemstones), which focusses more on purchasing turquoise and the different types of turquoise. "The Allure of Turquoise" is a relatively short book (only 107 pages in length), but contains color pictures throughout. Be aware, however, that this book does not contain an index, a major drawback, as far as I am concerned.

I found this book very thorough as far as the knowledge of the types of turquoise. But, I also found a lot of good info about traditional jewelry selling, info about fakes and treatments and historical knowledge. Gorgeous pictures.

This was a birthday gift for my husband. He loved it. He said it was the perfect present since he loves turquoise and making turquoise jewelry. It even arrived on time, gift wrapped. If you love turquoise, the color pictures are worth it. The content is very good too, my husbands states.

This is the same review I gave to "Turquoise Unearthed"...and for all intents and purposes, they could be classified as companion volumes...both doing an exceptional job in words and images!

"I have been a gem and mineral dealer for over ten years...and a rockhound for a lot longer than that...but this book taught me more in a single sitting than all my years in the buisiness and in the hobby.

I have dug, traded, bought and sold a whole bunch of "Turq"...natural, treated and "color-shot"...and this book instantly became one of my favorite references for the rest of my life.

If you are planning on investing in real American or Persian turquoise jewelry or stones...and it is an investment...then this book is a "Must Have!"

No sooner did I put this book down than I called up one of my suppliers and bought all of the Blue Gem and Turquoise Mountain stones they had left in stock...I am sure they are wondering what precipitated that call!"

My many thanks to Mr. Vigil for his labor of love, a compilation of articles from New Mexico Magazine...on everything from the Lowry "Turq" Museum...to the history and significance of the Cerrillos Mines...to the myth of "Old Pawn" jewelry...and much, much more!

I have both annuals of Fine Cooking. I love their cookbooks as each offers great recipes as well as information for the amature cook. My only complaint with this cookbook is the repeat of recipes from the other two annuals. I would have appreciated the contribution of new recipes that I do not already have.

What I like about Cooking New American is that it is very visual-one to three pictures accompany every recipe. You almost cannot resist the temptation to start cooking once you open it. Various tips appear along the margine - most useful if you are a beginner. There are also "special topic" guides on vinaigrettes, sauces, etc. All recipes are elegant yet very doable. Highly recommend it.

Not only is the book beautiful to look at, but in spite of looking really fancy, the recipies and directions are easy to follow.

As a fan of Fine Cooking Magazine I was very happy to come across this cookbook. Everything I've tried thus far has been delicious and simple to create. East to read, good photographs, and no-nonsense recipes. Try the Sweet and Spicy Sticky Chicken, its my family's favorite.

My friend and I went shopping at a local non-chain bookstore. She bought this book and I wound up buying something along the lines of Cooking for One. When we got home, we discovered we both liked the other's purchase better. We traded, and boy am I glad!

This book is full of very good *do-able* recipes. I personally like the variety they give you and all the recipes are especially good for both everyday cooking and for company. I work full-time, I am not a gourmet chef by any means, and most of these recipes can be easily done after work. A few I would delegate to weekends.

For an example of the variety: they give you a basic skinless boneless chicken breast pan-cooking recipe, then on the next page give you 5 or 6 pan sauce recipes (lemon caper, port cherry), which gives you great variety. They do the same thing with a basic pork recipe and 4 or 5 sauce examples to go with that. This is a great resource for a working person who loves flavor. You can't go wrong with this purchase.

This man is a salesman, which means first he sells himself,which he does quite succesfully in this book, a bit to the detrimentof the book. It makes it appear that anyone can go to people with a pretty good product and have it sell. It may sell, but a years worth of 60 hour work weeks isn't worth $10,000.

Found his little tricks like counting competitive products on the shelves, and other stuff, very useful. Resources are OK but have a larger variety as compared to other invention books. Throughout the book he stress low cost and investors, which to me seem contradictory, although his information on both is good. Not much of what makes a good product and clear steps to bring items to market.

For those I recomend Marketing Your Invention by Mosley and Winning At New PRoducts by Robert Cooper.

Overall this book is worth buying and reading.

The Debelak's rock my face off! GTO says: This book is amazing - such good stuff happens!! Marketing banzai!!

This is probably the best book on new product development... for the entrepreneur (those with a great idea, and somewhat limited budget). I ordered this book from Amazon after I read another of his books, Infilitration Marketing). I thought the previous book was A+, and I give that score to this book as well. I have also ordered his Marketing Plan book, but haven't read it yet.

I put this book up their with those of Barry Feig (Straight to the Heart, The New Products Workshop). But this book, Bringing Your Product To Market, is the best overall book for product development - more encompassing. It has lots of marketing material, but also lots of new product development ideas, how (and if, when) to license, how to manufacture (mostly contract manufacture). His book is the best over all book... and thus would be that one book to buy that includes it all.

Unlike other books on new product marketing, he doesn't go endlessly on about how to patent your product, how to hire a lawyer, and other side issues. This is much more practical: it presents a phased plan of new product development, market research, market testing, etc. Contract manufacturing, patents and licensing (excellently done) is then discussed in terms of this phased approach.

The purpose of this book is to get you away from developing a monument to yourself and to control urging of your ego to not listen to what the market is trying to say. His checklist and phased approach almost forces you to spend less on the front end than you normally would, and to constantly check the market's reactions. In this regard, the book is EXCELLENT PLUS. I have not seen any other book that is so practical, yet filled with marketing insight. I would say that if you followed his advice, you would triple your odds of success.

Every page oozes with practical experience (he consults with new product developers). He gives ratios and rules of thumbs for many subjects... again, based on his experience. He also provides lots of examples that illustrate his points. I would recommend that you order any of this guy's stuff. His marketing book was great, and I look forward to reading his marketing plan book.

I would also recommend your reading Feig's book, which goes into more detail in the market research and product idea development phase.

Oh, one last thing, I underlined about 60 % of just about every page in this book. I've filed it under the Dewey Decimal System of "A+".

John Dunbar

This book's author, Don Debelak, is a strong believer in inventors marketing their ideas. However, he also covers the licensing approach. He realizes that raising money is the number one problem and he covers the whole spectrum -- from doing it with zero dollars to how to raise a million dollars.

His advice is based on ten years as a new product marketing consultant. Throughout the book, he gives examples of the right and wrong moves people have made. My quick count (examples are in italics) indicated 106 examples.

Don estimates that in any given year, in the USA, about 200,000 individuals are working on product ideas but, at most, 500 will succeed in introducing their idea. In other words, one in 400 will succeed!

He stresses that in addition to the money problem, inventors should recognize the importance of three things -- that many revisions will be needed, that you can do it, and that you will need help from people experienced in your specific market area.

The author emphasizes entrepreneurs believe many myths about money. One common myth is that you should not borrow money until you have spent all of yours. Actually, in startup situations, banks expect you to have cash on hand equal to the loan requested. He emphasizes getting investors early in the process. If more money is then needed, investors will generally seek to protect their investment by investing more money.

Inventors often have no idea as to what the ratio of the selling price is to the cost of manufacturing. Quite often the selling price must be four to five times the cost of manufacturing the item. Few inventors seem to be aware of what sales, marketing and administration costs will be.

Many inventors fail to do even elementary market research. Can you communicate your product's benefits in 5 to 10 seconds? Is it significantly better? Have you consulted an impartial panel or are you still in the dream world of kind words from friends and relatives? The author gives several suggestions for doing low-cost market research.

You know your invention inside and out -- but do you know your buyers "hot buttons"? That is their motivations for buying products like yours. Don describes four basic reasons why people buy products. Unless you understand these, your sales pitches and your ads may fail miserably.

He points out that everyone loves a winning product. Therefore, it is vital to give your product the appearance of gaining momentum. Don't crank out a mountain of product and hope it will sell -- get a mountain of orders and work around the clock to fill the orders.

Don't assume a big blast of advertising is the answer. Many of the big advertisers succeed because they have established their brand names by years of advertising. Ads are expensive. Advertise, but analyze your results. He lists eight factors to be considered when analyzing the results of your ads.

While Don feels making your own product is better than the licensing approach, he does list 12 key steps to licensing an idea. Ideas don't sell themselves. Dramatic presentations and your ability to create a sense of urgency are vital when going the licensing route.

He gives an extensive check list for growing a company and for making it a smooth-running operation.

Surprisingly, he does not discuss business plans until later in the book. He feels they are overrated. A budget is vital at the very start, but until you gain some experience from producing and selling your product, a business plan will probably consist of wishful and wild estimates.

In summary, the message to inventors and entrepreneurs is that you can do it -- often at low cost -- but you must be prepared to work hard and, most of all, to work smart.

This is the book that I have been looking for! Finally, a book that walks me through step by step market analysis and determining if a product will sell.From inception of the idea, through the "Why does the world need my idea" to testing the idea, to actually setting up how to ask the consumer the RIGHT questions in deciding if the product is sales worthy, this book leads one through all of the steps.Items like price vrs cost of production was detailed. Will I be able to make a profit? Now I can tell!I found the "How to approach prospective clients" section extremely helpful with details on a presentation package to a list of the right questions to ask the prospective distributer. As an idea person, I needed to learn the marketing and the market reasearch part of the business. This book has done it.This invaluable book is worth every cent! Thanks!

Could the Dodo bird still be hiding out there? How about Blue Tigers in China? Some of the extremely interesting possibilities revealed in this book. Real can't put down reading, zoologist Karl Shuker is a leader of today's Cryptozoology investigation. Have enjoyed reading Mr. Shuker's articles in the Fortean Times for years.

I rank this book with Willy Ley's Exotic Zoology for delightful, yet level-headed reading that doesn't insult the reader's intelligence. Shuker ignores brainless sensationalism and writes with a mind that is at once open and analytical. His approach is that of a confirmed scientist who marvels at nature's capacity for producing known and yet-to-be revealed wonders. With a writing style that is relaxed and laced with subtle humor, "Flying Toads" is a book that is hard to put down and even harder to end.

While it appears that most of the previous reviews were from dedicated cryptozoology buffs, I had a much more "normal" use for this book. I run a role-playing game called "Conspiracy X" and I had just purchased the Cryptozoology sourcebook only to be dismayed by the lack of ...er... noncommon creatures (although there was plenty of Nessie, Bigfoot, et al.). I found this book here by accident and bought it and I have to say that I was plesantly suprised. Extremely well written and intelligent with all kinds of facts and tidbits that can be easily dropped right into a game. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting to run an "X-Files"ish RPG.

Although I've always been big on the paranormal, and supernatural, and all things abnormal, this was my first strictly cryptozoology book and I thuroughly enjoyed it. It's not the sort of thing you sit down and read strait through, but I had a hard time putting it down. It's fascinating and extremely well written, and very informative. It was a stroke of luck that I happened to run across it in the bookstore, and I think that anyone with even the slightest interest will be more than pleased.

Cryptozoology, the study of undiscovered animals, is a relatively new science. One of its foremost pioneers is Karl Shuker, who has a doctorate in Zoology and Comparative Physiology from the University of Birmingham. Dr. Shuker has collected dozens of his cryptozoological articles in his book From Flying Toads to Snakes with Wings. The book is a fantastic journey through every corner of our planet. Throughout the journey the reader encounters a parade of rarely seen creatures, including: whale-sized sharks, man-eating elephants, and blue tigers. Dr. Shuker's writing style is educated and fanciful. The result is a book that can be enjoyed by cryptozoological novices and veterans alike.

The Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot are perhaps two of the world's most notorious cryptozoological entities. Dr. Shuker presents a far more diverse group of lesser-known creatures. In fact, two of his chapters deal with newly discovered animals and proven hoaxes. This impressive collection of creatures would appeal to anyone interested in animals or the unknown.

Dr. Shuker uses thorough scientific research and eyewitness accounts in each of his articles. For example, in his chapter devoted to sharks Dr. Shuker describes an incident involving a very large shark: " They told him that their series of heavily weighted three-and-a-half-foot crayfish pots had been carried away once by a shark of ghostly white coloration and so extraordinarily immense that they estimated its length to have been anything between 115 and 300 feet." Dr. Shuker then goes on to explain that recent research on fossilized megalodon (prehistoric shark) remains have proven that sharks over 50 feet did indeed exist, a mere 11,000 years ago. Dr. Shuker believes the fishermen who saw the shark were shocked and therefore exaggerated the shark's length. Most of the creatures discussed in the book appear to be highly elusive and rarely seen by man. Others like the monster salmon of China, 33 feet in length, are alive and well.

From Flying Toads to Snakes with Wings is skillfully divided into eighteen chapters. Each chapter discusses a certain type of monster, such as: mystery bears of the world, giant jellyfishes, and the graveyard of monsters. The book has many illustrations and contains illustration credits to help locate the source of an illustration. There is also a selected bibliography and an index of animal names. This book would be useful to zoology students, science-fiction writers, and passengers aboard a long plane trip. Dr. Shuker clearly explains scientific information and presents each animal with the enthusiasm of a proud father. The number of animals presented in the book is incredibly lengthy and richly diverse. It has provided countless hours of enjoyment, and the book itself has held up quite well, with minimal wear and tear.

From Flying Toads to Snakes with Wings sheds light on a subject not usually discussed. With this book Dr. Shuker has made a significant contribution to the field of cryptozoology. Dr. Shuker does not limit his research to the common lake monster; he discusses the existence of the Golden Fleece and the macabre eating habits of sheep during food shortages (they bite the heads off young birds). Dr. Shuker's book is a sometimes frightful, thrill ride through the zoo of the unknown.