Texas Books

We have a lot of cookbooks. Our copy of A Cowboy in the Kitchen: Recipes from Reata and Texas West of the Pecos looks like it's been rode hard and put up wet. Why? Because it's the real deal. Not just a collection of recipes that look good or sound good, this is full of recipes that are great! If you like to eat, you'll come back to it over and over. Some of the recipes will become tradition. Others will be lots of fun to make and eat when you've got company. All of them will make you wish you doubled the recipe. We love it!

This is a wonderful book for anyone who loves Texas and Texas recipes. Our son lived in Texas for 8 years. His wife is from Texas. They were happy to get a "Texas Cookbook". GREAT recipes. The rub for steaks is fantastic.

Guys, if you want to upgrade your lifestyle from bachelor chow, if you want to impress the ladies, and most of all, if you want to have decent food at home or at work, you NEED this book. Now.

The stories are great, the author is a killer chef, and best of all, these are recipes YOU will like. If nothing else, get it to get the secret of his grill spice blend - it takes anything and makes it instanly a cut above anything else you've made.

But best of all, Mr. Spears shows us that cooking is not some girlie man thing, it's a cool thing. You'll eat better food, and women will realize you rock. I'm not kidding. Buy it now!

Although the recipies are good, easy to make and tasty it's the stories that accompany it that make the book. Grady doesn't try to be anyone he's not. He's a simple cowboy who enjoys cooking who fell into a career as a chef. Oh, and if you get the book, try the "Sissyfied Son-of-a-B*tch" it's definately better than it sounds.

As an avid cook and an amateur collector of quality cookbooks, I've seen a lot of theme cookbooks like this that are often more story that recipe. This cookbook combines both and is my absolute favorite cookbook ever! The recipes are amazing (though to all of you out there counting points/carbs/calories, etc., this is probably not for you), the back story is interesting, and the knowledge expressed in these pages is priceless to anyone from an aspiring weeknight cook to the most recent C.I.A. graduate (the cooking school, not the espionage organization). In short, there's something for everyone, and everyone will love the food from this book. As I write this, I'm enjoying the buttermilk biscuits that in a few days I will make into the buttermilk biscuit pudding with Southern Comfort cream!

What it comes to Christian mothering help (with the right touch of humor) Jean Stockdale is by far the BEST! Biblical principals, much needed empathy, and large doses of humor make her entire teachning series a hit with me. I'm on my 2nd teaching book and I actually enjoy & look forward to doing my homework. I have learned so much.

There is so much advice on how to be a good mother. Jean Stockdale teaches that it is impossible to be a good mom without being a godly mom. What our children need are mommas who are walking in the Spirit, submitted and obedient to the Lord. How do we do that? Jean makes it clear - become a faithful student of the Word of God. There is no other way! God used this book to radically change the way I study and apply God's Word to my role as a wife and mother.

Jean Stockdale has truly changed my life and the way that I mother my two girls. She has so much wisdom and provides so much insight on how to raise Godly children. She is also very practical on how to handle such things as sibling rivalry, discipline, and releasing your children one day to go into the real world. I have learned so much from her. I recommend this book VERY much. You will be blessed.

Jean Stockdale is such a Godly example of what a mom should be. I love how Jean incorporates her own life experiences as a mom as well as God's word to teach. I recommend this to any mom or expectant mom. It is very insightful and uplifting.

The author's sense of humor from her own experiences as a mom mixed with truths from God's Word make it an easy read. She shows how relevant and applicable the Word is to our every day lives as moms. She teaches how important it is to be a student of God's Word and how to pass that on to your "built-in disciples". Even those times you feel exhausted as a mother, she shows you how to run your race well and to finish strong. Excellent study! Would highly recommend to all moms!!!

This is one of Dr. Seuss's best for very young children. It is fun to read, and will surely make you giggle, especially when you see the pink underpants! The pictures are cute and we always pause to talk about them. There are few words and soon your toddler will have them memorized, and be reading along with you. The kids and I highly recommend this book.

We also recommend "Jamberry" by Bruce Degen and "There's a Wocket in my Pocket" by Dr. Seuss.s

LOVE THIS BOOK. IT is silly but awesome. So memorable. My son loves this book!

These books are smaller than I expected but I cant complain for the price. Good for young children. Simple

The thing I like best about this book is that the words and the pictures go together nicely. When the words say "Our eyes see bees," there is a picture of a lot of bees. So, from an educational perspective, you can have your child point to a picture while he or she hears the verbal description of the picture. It's helped my baby lean several words and phrases.

This simple concept is something that a suprising amount of childrens' books lack. It is good for two reasons. It helps them put words to pictures, and it helps them learn to read. The book is for children that are 4-8, but it's ability to help children match the verbal sounds of words to pictures makes it appropriate for infants as well.

The learning potential of the book is enhanced by the rythm of the words. The book's sentences ryme and procede in a rythm that makes the book more enjoyable for your child. My baby is noticeably delighted whenever he sees that we are about to read this book.

It is highly recommended.

This is the perfect book for the youngest of Seuss fans. It's a very simply book that starts out with a boy pointing to his eyes and saying what they are...and then to his bunny friend's eyes. The book goes on to explain what eyes do and what they help us see. I thought the pink underpants was a little strange, but they're just kids afterall!

I'm a little surprised that I didn't notice anyone else had harped on its beautiful cover. The cover is absolutely beautiful with its its pretty sea-mint green background and wonderful illustrations. I always thought the boy's eyes looked more like they belonged to the rabbit...they're huge!

To sum it up, it's a cute story about eyes!

An amazing person as well as basketball player and coach, Don Haskins relates the history of Texas Western/UTEP basketball in a way that the movie "Glory Road" (though very good) simply could not. Even though the title makes it sound like the 1966 season is all that is covered, this book actually tells the history of Haskins' long tenure here at UTEP, from his first years at the school through the historic championship in '66, and beyond. His insights into the players, coaches, and personalities he came into contact with were enthralling, and the wonderful storytelling really makes you feel like you were there through all the good times and bad. I read it cover to cover the same afternoon I bought it, and highly recommend it to any fan of UTEP, Coach Haskins, or basketball in general. Thanks for everything you've done for the city of El Paso, our university, and the game of basketball, Mr. Haskins.

I had great service arrived just in time for fathers day and my father went to UTEP during the duration of the book so it made for a great fathers day present and the service from amazon was awsome thanks alot amazon.

Your current published reviews are enthusiastic but in some cases contain factual inaccuracies. The movie and the book are related in title and subject (Don Haskins); but that is about as far as it goes. The movie which focuses on 1966 is moving and concludes with a happy and factual ending - that is, that Texas Western won that game in 1966 --- but the movie not always true to the facts. Understandably I suppose when you try to compress a life story, even if only one year of a life, into a 2 hour or so movie. The book, from someone who played for Coach, reviewed and commented on the galley proof, and has represented Coach Haskins and the '66 team as a lawyer and a friend for 35 plus years, is "spot-on" and should be read by everyone who has ever had an interest in basketball.

As to the fortunes of 1966 team and the gentlemen representing that team so well, then and now, suffice it to say that the past 3 or 4 years have indeed been a trip down Glory Road: The team was elected to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA this past April, only the 6th team to ever be so honored - and the first collegiate team --- with the enshrinement proceedings to be held on September 7 and 8, 2007 at the HOF facility. The team has also been honored with dinner and a movie at the White House with President and Mrs. Bush; the team will be inducted in the Boys Clubs of New York Hall of Fame in October of 2007, and some of the members volunteered to take an Armed Services Entertainment Tour to Germany, the Netherlands and England in February of 2007 to entertain our country's troops and their families. Also, Texas Western's victory on March 19, 1966 in College Park, Maryland over Hall of Fame Coach Adolph Rupp and his great Kentucky Wildcat team, that included Pat Riley, Louie Dampier and Larry Conley, among others, was selected by the National Collegiate Athletic Association ("NCAA") as one of 25 defining moments in the 100 year History of NCAA sports.

I could go on but I think this should at least clear up a few matters and hopefully whet the appetite of prospective readers and reviewers to pause and consider reading this book, viewing the movie. Coach Haskin's story is presented in an interesting manner, containing both Coach Haskin's well known skills as a pick-up riding around story teller and the literary skills of Dan Wetzel who spent hours upon hours riding, listening and recording those stories.

It is well written and factual to a fault; and points out what people can do when they put aside prejudices, rediculous stereoptypes (blacks had no discipline, couldn't be a point guard or quarterback) and circumstances and judge people by character and performance; not color and privilege. Every one of those (then but now not so) young men -- all are still alive except Bobby Joe Hill who passed away of a heart attack in 2002 --- that comprised the Texas Western Team in 1966 had talent and skill; more importantly they had character and heart and respect for each other and their coaches and that combination took them to over the top.

Enjoy this story and share it with others - because of their courage and accomplishments, and those of others in other aspects of the 60's civil rights movement, questions surrounding recruiting, playing, starting and honoring people of color in sports today seem strangely quaint, and beyond the imagination of most people born after the '60s. But it wasn't always so and for this all of society owes a debt of gratitude to Don Haskins, the members of his '66 team, the University of Texas at El Paso (formerly Texas Western College) and the citizens of El Paso for contributing to the environment in which we now find ourselves with respect to race relations in sports.

I have the honor of being Don Haskins teammate at Oklahoma A & M, now Oklahoma State University and couldn't be prouder and happier for a very good film about a very historic Coach and athletic event. Please be advised that Don's whole 1966 team was just inducted into the new Collegiate Hall of Fame in Kansas City, Missouri. Buy it, you will like it...!

In one of those quirky moments in the book and movie industries, the autobiography of coach Don Haskins was already "in the pipeline" before the development of the picture.

The book and movie share the title - Glory Road - which is a name of a street on the UTEP campus to commemorate the championship basketball season.

The book obviously gives a more fuller picture of Haskins and does not solely focus on the monumental victory by Texas Western College (UTEP) over Kentucky in the 1966 NCAA Finals. There will be areas "filled-in" where the movie takes artistic license with some facts/scenes to push the plot along.

The years after the title run are especially interesting, since the basketball program somewhat faded from national view as the sport became a multi-billion-dollar industry.

It is a shame that history - especially when it comes to matters of race - oftentimes become blurry as the years lumber forward. Though Haskins has always downplayed his role in what was a defining moment on the court of race & athletics, he truly deserved the attention from the national platform that propelled the book to national bestseller status.

The lessons learned along that glory road are as important today as they were 40 years ago.

This is one of the best books I have ever read! I devoured it in a day. Beautifully written.

The simple title belies a great author and an even greater reading experiance.

The author writes so that you actually *feel* you are there and know the streets and towns and things he speaks of and what you couldn't possibly see with your minds eye--he makes you feel with your heart.

A"MUST-READ" for anyone who has ever had a death made worse, by things left unspoken.

Into That Good Night may well be the best book I've ever read. Having been raised in a small Texas town in the same era, it really hit home. Ron's story of life's experiences, of loves and losses, is a heart felt story that is enjoyable and easy to read. It is a wonderfully written story of growing up when racism was really becoming an issue in the south, of his beloved father's Alzheimers, and much, much more. I highly recommend this book.

THIS BOOK COMPLETELY OVERWHELMED ME. I LIVED IT ONCE, AND NOW I'VE LIVED IN AGAIN THROUGH RON'S EYES. THERE ARE NO WORDS TO DESCRIBE OUR FATHER. HE TAUGHT US INTEGRITY, COMPASSION, HONESTY, AND LOVE WITH HIS QUIET WAYS AND GENTLY DEMEANOR. HE WAS BIGGER THAN LIFE TO ME. IT WAS SO HARD TO SEE WHAT HE HAD BECOME WHEN ALZHEIMERS TOOK OVER. HE HAD THE SAME SWEET DEMEANOR, BUT SOMETIMES DIDN'T RECOGNIZE US. IT WAS HARD, AND RON TOLD THE STORY BEAUTIFULLY. I CAN JUST SEE OUR DAD'S BEAUTIFUL BLUE EYES TWINKLE IN PLEASURE. THANK YOU RON FOR THIS WONDERFUL GIFT. I LOVE YOU...DIANE

A memoir called Into That Good Night by Ron Rozelle,
is the story told from Ron's point of view when he was
growing up in Oakwood and even in his present day
life. It talks about segregation in schools and in
some stores throughout the town where he grew up. This
book shows the change Ron goes through with his family
when his mother becomes sick with lung cancer. Ron
learns to appreciate his family much more as he got
older and started to realize he won't have parents
forever. He ultimately realizes this when his father
looses his battle with Alzheimer's disease. You also
see segregation come to an end in Oakwood as time
progresses. You see the town where everyone knew
everyone suddenly become very lonely and empty after
most of the population got old and passed away. There
weren't many people moving in to Oakwood because it
didn't have many job opportunities.
Ron wrote this book in a then and now format. Every
other chapter switches, describing his child hood and
what happened in the future. It is a little confusing
but you catch on right away. It's very interesting
this way because it keeps you wondering, "What
happened to Ron".
Ron's ability to describe things just painted a clear
picture of what everything was like for him back then
in my mind. He gets right to the point when he rights,
it's not hard to comprehend or anything. That is what
is likeable about his style of writing. He writes in a
very appealing manner. Into That Good Night's main
focus is about Ron's relationship with his dad.
Ron and his father were very close because Ron's
father is a very calm kind of guy. He doesn't show
much emotion where as his mother is described as moody
and not afraid to yell when something makes his mad.
This is why he had more of a connection with his
father because in many ways he was like his father.
Ron is not quick to show emotion either. Ron and his
father form a special bond.
Ron graduates high school and is drafted in to the
military. He gets shipped off to Germany for a year.
In the mean time, his mother's health is decreasing.
She is getting worse and the doctors say she doesn't
have much time left. She started chain smoking when
Ron was a kid and that led her to her deathbed.
Fortunately Ron got to say goodbye to his mom right
before he headed off to the airport to be shipped off.
He felt that finally, he and his mother were at peace
with each other.
Ron and his dad form a strong bond after Ron gets
back from the Army and gets his own apartment. His dad
comes to visit him and they spend quality time
together. A few years later Ron's father eventually
re-marries and lives with his new wife. When Ron's
father gets in his older years he starts forgetting
things. His loss of memory starts increasing and he's
even forgetting simple things like where he is. He is
diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.
What is Ron going to do when one of the most
important people in his life is starting to forget who
his own son is. What is it like to die not remembering
what your life was like and what your legacy will be.
This story was very easy to relate to. It is a very
easy understanding and likeable memoir of Ron Rozelle.

Tarkovsky's 'Sculpting in Time' offers a fascinating glimpse into this master's theoretical and poetic approach to his craft. Reading it alongside with 'Time Within Time', his diaries collected, the text casts a new light upon the work and mind of this artist of truth and sacrifice - A true must for art lovers worldwide.

I was introduced to Tarkovsky's work about 20 years ago during my time in film school, and The Sacrifice was the movie that turned me on to his outstanding cinematic legacy. The more I saw, the more I wanted to learn about the artist. Then I came upon Sculpting In Time; a cinematic memoir which has forever changed my life, and my artistic visions.

This book is nothing short of inspirational. I highly recommend it even if you are not familiar with Tarkovsky's work. Each chapter is loving written, eloquently detailed and profoundly insightful on topics such as the importance of sound, story and visual aesthetics in filmmaking. Tarkovsky's ability to, quite literally, sculpt cinematic moments in time in each of his films is nothing short of genius.

Thames & Hudson have triumphed with what collectors might regard as a limited edition, artist's book.This isn't the place to start chipping into Tarkovsky. It is more the devotee's piece - a touchstone which alludes to the magnificent ediface of his films: all which return the viewer to their world with a deeper, more spacious vision, an expanded present moment. In 'Rubelov','Solaris', 'Stalker', and,'Sacrifice', to name my favourites, he re-invented the epic with sustained inquiries into our transience without heady verbalism or vanity. To grapple with his own thinking about his achievements and how he positioned himself as an artist, one should seek out,'Sculpting In Time,'penned towards the end of his relatively short life. Recently, French documentary-maker, Chris Marker('Sunless') compiled a stunning homage to this Russian cinematic master. Bits of Tarkovsky's aforementioned book, and excerpts from his diaries appear with the reproduced polaroid snaps(the present book's theme)which fall into two geographic zones, Italy & Russia and are bookended with short tributes by two Italian friends. Every effort has been made in layout to convey the darkened atmosphere in which the illuminated materiality of these world's float to the viewer's eye. And in images barely larger than matchboxes this scale has some of the hallucinatory power of his movies. The layout & medium insist on episodic, fragmentary framing. Tarkovsky's films privilege the same exquisite framing with a sensual appetite for textures above narratives that makes us feel newly arrived at a primary experiencing of the world. These polaroids could have served as his flexing towards film projects: even their outtakes.

Sculpting in the time represents one of the most expressive eloquents statements of one of the supreme masters in the cinema art as Andrei Tarkovsky was .
All long this book you will read several aspects of the man , the thinker , the poet and above all the unvaluable reflections about the art in general and his craft in particular .
Tarkovsky makes an account about all his filmography ; making a detailed and exhaustive explanation about every film .
You will understand in all his wideness conceptual some concepts derivated about the role of the cinema in the actual world . The influence of ancient directors , his opinions about the role of the artist in the world , and some mesmerizing photos from his films as Ivan' s childhood , the Mirror , Nostalghia or Andrei Rubliov . There are some poems from his father Arseni Tarkovsky who were part of films such The mirror in the Spanish Civil War and the poem from the poet from Nosthalgia for instance .
It's a must for you to acquire this book . For me it was a delightful surprise to get this text in New York in 1995 .
Fundamental artistic legacy from this russian ( 04-04-32 / 12-29-6 ) master: in memoriam!

"Sculpting in Time" is truly an amazing work of art in its own right. Certainly filmmakers have written books about their artistic styles in the past. Philosophers have written elaborately on the subject of aesthetics as a whole in the past as well. And yet "Sculpting in Time" offers those with aesthetic interests something truly unique.

It should be forewarned that Tarkovsky, like Ingmar Bergman, was heavily interested in aesthetic philosophy. In fact Tarkovsky's ideas regarding art borderline the metaphysical (as this book is often used in higher level philosophy classes), and yet - through the tone in which the book is written - "Sculpting in Time" manages to appeal to the average Tarkovsky or cinema studies fan in such a way that no other aesthetics book has managed.

Tarkovsky's self-written "Sculpting in Time" is an amazing supplement which describes the brilliant filmmaker's use of filmic techniques but also goes a step further by explaining (at great length), why the filmmaker believes those techniques are significant. The value of his tried efforts to create a meaningful work of art directly relate to Tarkovsky's view of art as a whole.

Tarkovsky's views of art are complex and yet are reiterated for the reader so simply they stand out in "Sculpting in Time" like a gem. For instance the underlying theme in Tarkovsky's writing is the idea of an "absolute truth" of art which can be derived a given piece of art. Without giving too much away, Tarkovsky's beliefs, as expressed in his chapter "Imprinted in Time" mostly, is simply that art done for the right reasons - containing some form of objective truth within it - serves to link us (subjective beings), with an "absolute." From that blooms Tarkovsky's entire creative aspect fans of his films know and love him for.

I have to recommend this book to anyone interested in aesthetics, cinema studies, or Tarkovsky. I think this is a nice supplement to have when watching Tarkovsky films as well, so it might just serve to spark the interest in a philosophy buff to check out a few Tarkovsky films! Enjoy!

ENGLISH
Julius is a young boy growing from childhood to the beginnings of adolescence in a Lima family of great inherited wealth and power. Devastated by the loss to illness of his adored older sister Cynthia, he struggles to fit in at his exclusive private school, while his predilection for socialising with the family servants makes him a source of concern to his mother and business magnate stepfather.

The genteel 1960s/70s Lima of "A World For Julius" no longer exists. But anyone who has spent some time in Peru will recognise the manners and attitudes depicted here. Bryce Echenique patiently and expertly satirizes the Peruvian obsession with social status as delineated by class, race, culture and language. The central figure of innocent, sensitive Julius is a window through which these values are viewed, at times with humour, at times with barely restrained indignation.

But "A World for Julius" does not merely lampoon the oligarchy in whose midst Bryce Echenique himself grew up. Beyond the powerful social criticism, it is a portrayal of the universality of human suffering. The novel's great achievement is to maintain empathy with the anxieties of the rich and powerful, at the same time as exposing their hypocrisy and complicity in the suffering of the powerless. Regardless of the walls erected by privilege, Bryce Echenique shows, no one can escape from the encroachment of age, disappointment in love, or the loss of a child.

Some patience is required for the long and detailed passages of stream of consciousness, which bear comparison with Proust or Joyce. But patience is rewarded by the subtle and skilful development of character. An additional pleasure comes from Bryce Echenique's success in capturing the rich flavors of Peruvian idiom--this is a book best read in the original Spanish, if possible.

ESPAÑOL
Julius es un niño que va acercandose a la adolescencia en una familia limeña de gran riqueza heredada. Trastornado por la pérdida de su adorada hermana mayor a una enfermedad fatal, le cuesta integrarse en su escuela exclusiva, y su tendencia de buscar la compañia de los empleados de la casa preocupa a su mamá y su padrasto

Ya no existe el Lima de "Un Mundo para Julius", pero quien haya pasado algun tiempo en el Peú reconocerá las actitudes representadas aquí. Con paciencia y pericia, Bryce Echenique satiriza la obsesion peruana con el estatus social y las diferencias de clase, raza, cultura y lenguaje. La figura central del ingenuo, sensible Julius es una ventana por la cual se examina los valores sociales, a veces con humor, a veces con una indignación apenas contenida.

Pero "Un Mundo para Julius" no sólo se burla de la oligarquía en medio de que se crió el mismo Bryce Echenique. Más allá de su fuerte criticismo social, es un retrato de la universalidad del sufrimiento humano. Lo que logra esta novela es mantener la empatía con las ansiedades de los ricos y poderosos, al mismo tiempo que va descubriendo su hipocresía y su complicidad en el sufrimiento de los pobres. A pesar de las paredes que construye el privilegio, nadie puede escapar el envejecimiento, la decepción en el amor, o la pérdida de un niño.

Se necesita algo de paciencia para los largos y detallados monólogos interiores, que se pueden comparar con Proust o con Joyce. La recompensa de esta paciencia es el desarrollo sútil y hábil de los personajes. Otro placer viene del exito de Bryce Echenique en capturar los ricos flavores del lenguaje peruano.

This is by far the most known novel Bryce has written, and there isn't much to comment unfortunately. It's a classic in Peru as far as I read but, as Chinua Achebe's 'Things fall apart', this is one of those folklore books that won't appeal to my Fiction reading hunger. It seems shallow most of the times, the character POV of the kid Julius never works out what's going on around him; no true sequels; Julius' parents are made of one piece of cardboard; the setting is the only thing that might be of interest (very much like Achebe's novel); and Julius barely grows by the end of the novel (at page 350!). For that matter, go check Coetzee's 'Waiting for the barbarians' or Peruvian Vargas Llosa's 'The war of the end of the world', two contemporary masterpieces.

The main thing that this novel does is make you ask what other such excellent novels must lay hidden in foreign languages or used book stores.

This book is nominally about the world of a young boy growing up in Lima, partly the real world in which he lives, partly in the play world where he goes on imaginary adventures in his great-grandfathers ornate, moldering carriage that has been stored in the carriage house.

This book is also about two other worlds, that of the well to do aristocratic family being pressured by changes happening in their world. And about that of the Indian servants who have come down out of the Andes seeking employment.

Like most of the best novels, the story grabs your attention as the characters and location become real, even though you've never been there. It took me back to my own Grandfathers garage, filled with musty relics from his younger years.

This book is absolutely amazing. No words could make justice to its brilliance. I've read it three times. Bryce describes the Limean society and especially the huge social gap between the aristocracy (where he comes from) and the low class (indian inmigrants from the Andes that arrive in Lima to work in domestic jobs), through the eyes of a 6 year old kid in such a way that'll make you both cry and laugh. I've read most of the Latin American authors but this has to be the best, its Bryce masterpiece.

Funnily, Alfredo started writing it as a short story but got so involved in it that he ended up writing more than four hundred pages. He stopped writing the book only because summer arrived and he decided to go on holidays (as many L.A. writers at the time he as living in Paris).

Other master pieces are: 1. "Todos los cuentos": short stories about Lima in the 50's and 60's, in the same line as 'Julius'. This edition includes his first book "Huerto Cerrado" and "La felicidad Ja Ja"

2. "La vida exagerada de Martin Romana" : A Julius, its heavily inspired in his own life. "Martin" could well be a 28 years old Julius trying to be a writer in Paris in the 60s. Truly amazing.

Julius is born in "a palace in Salaverry Avenue", coming from two of the wealthiest and most powerful families in Peru around the late fifties. Julius has it all: pretty family, servants who adore him, a forest-like garden, a pool, toys and cares. He grows up within a bubble of welfare. But one day, a little after his father's death, his beloved older sister Cynthia also dies, devastating him. Sadness and silence loom over the palace. Susan, his mother, a notable beauty of Anglo-Saxon descent, gives herself over to frivolity and nightlife. Julius finds shelter in the world of the numerous servants, since his mother and older brothers take no notice of him. Stability and some cheerfulness return when Susan marries a new man, Juan Lucas. He is another millionaire, the stereotype of the winner.In his early forties, Juan Lucas is handsome, rich, self-assured, a great socialite, a despot with those under his position, a man of the world and the perfect match for the always pretty Susan. The couple and the older boys leave for a time to go to Europe, during which time Julius goes to live in the countryside with the servants, in a beautiful chalet. There, Julius's sentimental education continues, by way of exploring the world of the servants, of poverty, the simplicity of country-side life, and how it is to be beyond Lima's jet-set. Then come the return to Lima, life in school, life with Juan Lucas (who hates Julius in an almost friendly manner), Susan and her husband's life in the fast lane in Lima's upper strata, as well as the move to a new palace and the traumatic arrival of adolescence.

Written with great control of style, with a lot of "stream of consciousness" and with the use of both the language of the beautiful people and the slang of the lower classes, the novel credibly conveys a portrait of the Peruvian high class and the miseries and small joys of the poor. All of this from the point of view of a smart, sensitive and sympathetic boy who basically grows up by himself, since his brothers are mostly absent, Juan Lucas despises him, and mommy is always partying or doing other things. In fact, Juan Lucas and Susan make up for one of the least sympathetic and most frivolous couples of literature and yet they are utterly credible and may very well remind you of people you actually know. I know I do. A great strength of the book, as noticed by another reviewer here, is that it has, thankfully, no political agenda. It is descriptive and avoids moralizing or patronizing about political issues. That's life. And for all of us who grew up in Latin America, especially, the books is a perfect portrait of our societies. Very good (and with a great sense of humor).

My grand daughter's are anxious to get started building! I bought this and the Stokes Guide to Bats. They love the books. Easy to use and with a little help 8 & 10 years-old understand the blueprints.

Maybe I'm too sold on what's marketed as variety.

I agree with what other reviewers have said, that these are good bathouses and the instructions are easy to follow. I just wish there were a little more variety in terms of design.

The book, by the way, over and above the houses does have some reference information on bats including where to put the houses. That was helpful.

If you're into bats, and would like to make your own houses, this is the book I would recommend.

Lots of good information in here. This book went into detail that I'd never even thought about. Definitely worth a buy if you want a good house that will attract bats.

I was a bit annoyed to open the package from Amazon and see this glorified pamphlet inside. "There goes ten bucks!" I thought. Don't let the size fool you, though. When I opened the booklet and started flipping through, I saw that it really is an excellent guide. It is far superior to anything else I have seen on the subject. I have seen bat houses for sale in my area that do not come close to meeting the well researched guidelines described in this book. Worth buying, definitely. I just wanted to combat the mosquitos in my neighborhood -- now I will likely join the Bat Conservancy and build houses for any friends who ask.

This is a very concise and thorough book on how to construct a successful bat house.

What to make of this book? I went into it knowing what the author was trying to do and thinking, "He'll never pull it off." Well, he does. It works because of the time spent building the character of Jimmy Blackburn, a kid growing up abused out in the sticks and trying to make sense of a cruel world. He is so decent he cannot abide the deliberate infliction of pain on helpless victims, be they humans or dogs. So he kills them -- a mean cop, crooked mechanics, a wifebeater, etc.

A masterpiece of black humor, it's also surprisingly touching. Imagine Holden Caulfield as the protagonist of a serial killer novel and you have some idea. This is the ideal novel for the fans of serial killer books, American humor aficinados and dog lovers on your gift list.

BTW, if you are interested in the polar opposite of "Blackburn," check out Shane Stevens "By Reason of Insanity."

...people will wonder what the hell is wrong with you as you literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter. VERY few other books have ever made me do this, NONE on such a *continuous* basis.
Lest you forget, this is about a serial killer:
"what's so funny?"
(incoherently *try* to quit laughing, regain your composure, and explain why that murder WAS SO FUNNY)...
I read this book a year ago, and it still impacts me as one of the best ever. I read a fair amount, yet most books are so unmemorable to me.
if you want a book that questions the whole polemic issue of "good and evil" i recommend this book. if you want to laugh, ditto.
i'm here searching for it to buy my own copy, because it was that eff-in good (one in a thousand books -- that's how many books i want to re-read, let alone what fraction of that i would buy AFTER I have read it already, if i hadn't bought it in the first place).
I HEART THIS BOOK

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

if he didn't know he had a moral code?
if thoughts could kill, so many of us would be serial murderers.
we'd take out a lot of people having a bad day too

but blackburns victims were all deaths we could root for, especially given our knowledge of Blackburn's inner monologue
poor blackburn, his mission ended too soon.

I read this book in less than eight hours, impossible to put down and hard to forget!

Generally, when a serious book set in modern America features a person who murders twenty people, that person is not the star, you don't find yourself cheering him on, and you aren't sad when the killing spree comes to an end. In Blackburn, Bradley Denton makes all of that happen.

Blackburn follows the life of Jimmy Blackburn, told through a series of nineteen stories spanning his life. The book has an intriguing structure, alternating stories called things like "Victim Number Two" (which is the tantalizing first one) with numbered and named chapters (the second chapter is actually called "One: Blackburn and the Blind Man"). The chapters alternate between "Victim" and "numbered and named" chapters for the rest of the book. I found this structure terribly interesting, especially beginning with "Victim Number Two". For a long time we are left wondering who victim number one was. His father? The bully? Who?

In the book, young Jimmy Blackburn is tormented by his father and various other thugs and shysters. While this formula could be used to make Blackburn into a victim, carrying out his violent deeds because of lingering pain of his childhood, Denton doesn't take it that direction. Instead, the events of Jimmy Blackburn's childhood lead him to an inexorable decision. He will not be a victim, he will be a perpetrator, a righter of wrong, a sticker-up for the downtrodden, an anti-hero. And we are along for the ride, holding on and hoping for the best and knowing it can't end well.

From beginning to end, the book is excellent, compelling, and surprisingly funny. The chapter with the encyclopedia salesman is hilarious, and the chapter with the car repair scam artists is wicked fun. There are lots of dogs along the way. You could make a case that without the dogs there wouldn't have been a story at all. It's hard not to like a guy who likes dogs as much as Blackburn does. Denton even takes some fun shots at himself, inserting an author of a book very much like this one into the narrative. It is, to say the least, interesting when Blackburn confronts him. The most compelling part of the story, though, is when Blackburn runs into another serial killer, only the evil kind. Perhaps it's meaningful that this encounter is the beginning of the end for Blackburn.

Toward the end of the book there is, to me, the most satisfying exchange, so cool that I have to share it here at the risk of spoiling something for someone. It should come as no surprise that Blackburn finds himself in the custody of the police. Here, Blackburn has decided to be forthright with them, but his honesty is not appreciated. There are no good cops in this book. The jerky DPS troopers are escorting him in shackles and handcuffs back to the jail after his preliminary hearing when Blackburn tells them he has killed men, but never a woman. "How many men?" the first trooper asks. "Just so we know how scared we should be," the second says. "Eighteen," Blackburn says. "So far." It helps the excitement of the moment that the exchange takes place in the chapter called "Victim Number Nineteen". Wicked fun.

Blackburn is a great book, funny and exciting and sad. If it doesn't make you cheer for the killer and wail at the unjust world when he doesn't get to kill more people, there's something wrong with you.

Brennan's is a famous New Orleans restaurant started up in the 1940s. The family opened up a sister restaurant in Houston in 1967. The cuisine served in the Houston branch has become well known in its own right, and is affectionately known as "Texas Creole"

When a cookbook comes from a restaurant, its important to know if the restaurant is any good. Brennan's is one of the best restaurants in Houston. The food, ambience, service and live music are all excellent and although there is a dress code and the waiters wear suits, it isn't pretentious or snobby. I liked the food there so much that I bought this cookbook so that I could make some of the dishes at home! By the way, it is not diet cuisine - most of the dishes are rich and well seasoned, with lots of nuts, butter, cream and oil. Totally fattening, extremely filling and very satisfying.

The book has a good number of color photos, mostly of the food but also some of the interior. It also includes some information about the history of the restaurant. Some restaurants keep their signature dishes secret, but not Brennan's - in this cookbook you will find the recipes for many well-known specialities such as Creole Bread Pudding Souffle and Bananas Foster. There are chef's tips included with the recipes, and overall the book is very user friendly.

This book is highly recommended, both for its faithful recreation of the restaurant's dishes, and for the overall excellence and originality of its recipes.

LIST OF CHAPTERS:

Introductions
Best of Beginnings - Lagniappes, Drinks& Appetizers
From the Garden and Beyond - Salads & Soups
Breakfast at Brennan's - Creole Jazz Brunch
Chef Carl Recommends - Meats & Poultry
Brennan's Favorites - Seafood
Accompaniments - Sides, Sauces & Seasonings
Grand FInales - Fantastic Desserts
Our Texas Creole Story
Source Guide & Index

SAMPLE RECIPES to tempt your palate and give you an idea of the style of cuisine:

Salmon & Smoked Corn Salsa
Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with Crabmeant Mango-Papaya Relish
Gulf Seafood Pontchartrain
Texas Bobwhite Quail
Jicama Slaw
Southern Pecan Crusted Catfish
Smoked Salmon Cheesecake
Texas Cornbread Pudding
Cajun Enchiladas with Roasted Tomatillo Salsa
Ancho Pepper and Cumin Sweet Potato Smashers
Spiced Pumpkin Seed Chicken
Bayou Gumbo
Roasted Peanut Soup with Honey-Cajun Shrimp
Risotta Jambalaya
Creole Bread Pudding Souffle (this is to die for!)

Also available in a hardcover edition (0970472986, $24.95), culinary author and chef Carl Walker draws upon his Creole and Texas styles of cooking that made Brennan's of Houston a very successful restaurant. Capitalizing on fresh ingredients, all of the recipes comprising this mouth-watering collection are kitchen-compatible and "user friendly". Enhanced with color photography, the recipes range from Chili-Fried Gulf Oysters; Creole Barbecued Shrimp; and Braised Red Cabbage; to Champagne Fennel Cream; New Orleans-Style Pralines; and Creole Bread Pudding Souffle. A master-piece of its kind, Brennan's Of Houston In Your Kitchen will prove to be an invaluable and popular resource for even the most novice of kitchen cooks seeking to replicate gourmet quality dishes for their family dining table!

Absolutely wonderful southern and creole recipes. I haven't cooked anything from this book that hasn't received rave reviews. You can't go wrong!

This is one of the greatest cookbooks ever produced. Chef Walker's preparation techniques as well as the "Chef's Tip's" throughout the book allow you to make these dishes exactly as they do in the restaurant. Even the recipies that are common in alot of other cookbooks take on a uniqueness in this book that makes it a "must have" book for anyone interest in creating good food. I was fortunate to be able to take a cooking class with Chef Walker called "Breakfast at Brennan's". One of the dishes he prepared was "Eggs Hussard", from page 72 in this book. Wow!The best egg dish I have ever tasted. It even makes the popular Eggs Benedict seem bland with comparison. Using the recipe from this book, I have prepared "Eggs Hussard" for family and friends with the same results and taste as that prepared by Chef Walker. I have also prepared several other recipies from this book with equal success. Chef Carl is truely a gifted chef and he fully shares his recipes, techniques, and tips in this great cookbook.

This beautiful 192-page book is a triumph for Chef Carl Walker. This eclectic and inventive collection of recipes has been carefully accented with full-color photographs and personal anecdotes. It is a wonderful gift for fans of Brennan's, and even for home cooks who have never made their way to Houston.

The book is organized by course: Beginnings (Lagniappes, Drinks, and Appetizers), Garden and Beyond (Salads and Soups), Breakfast, Meats and Poulty, Seafood, Accompaniments (Sides, Sauces and Seasonings), and Fantastic Desserts.

Each recipe features an expected yield, list of ingredients, paragraph-style instructions on how to prepare the ingredients, and a Chef's Tip. The Chef's Tips include technique suggestions, ingredient substitutions, and reminders on how to prepare the raw ingredients.

The desserts section is especially decadent. For example, the Chocolate Praline Cheesecake is a masterpiece by Pastry Chef Melissa Piper Reilly. This luscious dessert uses a chocolate crumb crust filled with caramels, pecans, and chocolate-laced cheesecake filling.

This beautiful cookbook will be a delight for chefs and bakers alike. Enjoy!