Spain Books

It's an excellent book, it proves that there is great love amongst grandkids and grandparents. Something not everyone has.

The first half of this book has some humorous interactions between Diego and his sister which draw in and entertain children. The second half of the book draws in adults, causing them to feel both the sadness of missing a far-off relative and the joy of reuniting with them. Without ever saying "I love you," both Diego and his grandfather teach us in a few short words that love between family members is what really matters, and can transcend all barriers. When Little Diego finally gets to see Papa Diego, it is the best day of his life.

Even though it is long for a picture book, A Gift From Papa Diego can be read aloud by an adult in as little as 20 minutes. If your story time is shorter than that, breaking it into segments is easy. There are several logical stopping places that provide suspense for the next reading session. A wonderful story and excellent bilingual text in side-by-side format!

The book tells the story of a young boy living in El Paso,Tx who misses his beloved grandfather who lives across the border in Chihuahua,Mexico. This book touches the heart as few others do. It is both touching and funny. My students loved its message that the best gifts are those from the heart. It was great to have a story set in their own hometown! The illustrator's use of clay really awed my students and encouraged them to try it instead of drawing. They thought the 3-dimensional aspects brought the characters to life!

This is a fabulous cookbook. There are pictures of every dish, even pictures of steps in the making of many dishes. Some wonderful choices are the asparagus wrapped in serrano ham, shrimp fried in sherry, spicy meatballs, a classic tortilla and even salt cod fritters. Everything is very authentic. Be prepared to put a bit of work into some of these recipes. It seems like some of these tapas are supposed to be made with leftovers that those who do not cook Spanish everyday would not have (e.g. paella croquettes). In any case, this is the best tapas book I've seen.

After my 3 week trip to Spain and sampling almost every tapas bar in every town I went (Madrid, Toledo, Cordoba, Seville, Granada, etc), it's time to re-create a bit of Spain in my kitchen and the easy to follow recipes and mouth-watering photos are just the beginning...

This is a great book! I have been interested in spanish cooking and decided to take the plunge into buying a recipe book. This one was a hit! I immediately threw together a Margarita & Tapas party that included the cheese puffs, egg-fried ham sandwiches, banderillas, and chorizo puffs (to name a few) from the book.
The directions are easy to follow and the color photos are beautiful.

Leroy Quintana is the fullest embodiment of what can heal, like an exilir of brown-skinned proportions, that which ails the chicano spirit. In this book, he fashions a myriad of, otherwise cultural secrets, into a tapestry of viceral truths open for all to absorb. Joining Quintana in his "Whilr of Exile" was resoundingly GREAT! "Omen", Quintana's personal poem of paternal retrospective for a daughter, encompasses that knot of anticipation, the "butterflies" of excitement that so many non-verbose men uneloquently call "anticipation", and from behind the eye of a needle shows his emotion and love. This book, even from a distance, set top-left of my bookcase beckons for eyes and minds to join the "Whirl". A must read and keep and share!

For those who know his history, it is no surprise that Leroy V. Quintana is a great story-teller in his poetry. He was raised in Albuquerque by Mexican grandparents, who told him numerous folk-tales (Cuentos) as a child. "In many ways, I'm still basically a small-town New Mexico boy carrying on the oral tradition," he comments. His work is endowed not only with a raucous frontier humor, but also a remarkable emotional range, from comic depiction's of adolescent love to moving poems of death and loss, to reflections on his war experience in Vietnam.

"Quintana captures "a period of Chicano history few poets write about." --The Nation

"The voice of the poet is unmistakable in each [poem], a voice that plays with words and delights readers. These are poems that invite us to read them aloud, to savor their language and originality, and to reflect on the stories they tell." --MultiCultural Review

"Quintana's...passion for rendering the lives of New Mexicans has produced a nationally acclaimed body of work...a love for his community explodes into lean and lucid poems with a universal appeal." --Albuquerque Journal

Sometimes we look at short poems and think they are simple, in that not much will be said. Leroy V. Quintana,a Chicano poet, writing at the top of his art, says more in a few lines than some modern poets say in entire books. A teacher in a university, his work shows very few signs of academic taint. The situations and images he presents are fresh and sometimes startling, and always thought-provoking. This is a man who has not lost contact with his roots, going back and forth between his childhood in New Mexico, to his serving as a combat veteran in Vietnam (read also his excellent book about Vietnam: "Interrogations") and currently a professor in San Diego. Always he writes about the ambivalence of cultures, writes with great wit, compassion, and with healing power. Yes, he writes about his ethnicity and writes wonderfully about it, but his range and focus is far greater. Highly recommended and if you buy this book, order his others, all in print, written full of deep wisdom.

It has probably been a decade since I first read this book, and it remains among my top favorites. It brings together history and Jewish mysticism and the clash of cultures and religions in Spain in a compelling narrative. A great read.

...is my favorite line from the book. It's little over the top at times, but it is full of lush images and ideas that layer on top of one another. Lovely.

I was drawn in by Levi's ability to craft a sentence, and forever affected by what he has to say.

Yes, the Levi treads the line between the uncanny and the preposterous. Some of this is delightful (the origins of baseball and the name Florida), and some is nearly intolerably silly (deep historical references in Led Zeppelin lyrics). Through most of the book, these "what if" takes on history as we know it, contained mainly in old letters (and letters within letters), are pieces of a mainly amusing, sometimes compelling puzzle. But in the moving Book of Ruth ending, Levi's lesson on the importance of stories in organizing our lives and providing identity comes through briliantly.

Particularly for Jews (and particlularly 500 years after the Expulsion), this book teaches a valuable lesson. Sometimes the best route to the truth begins with "Let me tell you a story."

Rivages has the best guides for lodging we have found to date. We travel with our two children and look for informal, charming places. We have just discovered this series and used it for our last trip. The places we stayed were family run B & B's. The houses were very pleasant, but having hosts that were willing to sit down and offer some help about the best places to eat, visit and hike in the area was really key to a very fine vacation. I recommend these books to anyone going to the areas they cover (Ireland, England, France, Portugal and Italy, I think).

"The best guides for the finest kind of vacation." Elle Magazine

"This series has long been respected as one of the best of its kind. Each book contains detailed color maps and a listing of accommodations by area. They include color photographs, the address and phone number, a star rating, amenities, price, and a brief paragraph describing the property. Newly revised and updated, these excellent guides to accommodations in Europe are highly recommended for all libraries." Library Journal

Marjorie Kanter's, I Displace the Air as I Walk, has the ability to use words in their most basic and elemental meaning. Concise, poweful, and tingid with humor and irony. It is one of such very rare books that convey a very sophisticated, urbane, and intense understanding of the complexities of the human condition. Moreover, it is quite accesible and deeply personal, conveying a wonderful sense of our fragile but unique existential reality. Furthermore, you pick it up and you immediately find something that touches you.

Marjorie Kanter writes in a sparing, wry and whimsical style that moves anyone who
loves to travel and observe. Her verse evokes an "Aha" as we meet a Spaniard eating potato chips with knife and fork, encounter a disoriented Moroccan during Ramadan, and smile as a Boston girl applies confidence to her lips. Kanter has lived for years in each place she writes about, so with a few words she implies entire stories.

-Al Gowan, author SANTIAGO RAG, ZAMORA'S TATTOO and FORT MOMMA.

This is a gem of a book that pulls together writings from Marjorie's travels around the world. She manages to draw the reader into her everyday world with an insight into events that for many would otherwise go unnoticed. Her understated and simple style masks a depth of understanding and she tackles complex, and at times controversial, issues with ease. Recommended reading for anyone looking to delve further into the world we live in and the dynamics behind social interaction and communication. Be prepared to smile often and be charmed!

Published in 1968, 'Iberia' is James Michener's tribute to Spain, drawn from his travels there beginning in the 1930s through the late 60s. Not only does he describe the different regions of Spain, but as he does in his novels, he delves into Spain's culture, politics and history and even its ecology (there is a beautiful chapter written about Las Marismas, a large swampland in the south). This is a wonderfully written and fascinating book, and I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about or travel to Spain.

In the summer of 1976 I read this book shortly after Franco died and before I arrived for a years's study in Madrid. I found it a terrific read. I arrived in Spain with more knowledge than most of my American friends.
I have just finished re-reading it. My 17 year old daughter is going to summer school this year in Tarragona for a month, to work on her Spanish skills. I hope she enjoys this as much as I did.
My wife and I have returned to Spain on numerous occasions, to vacation, to visit friends, to just visit. We are never bored. This book was and is a large part of that.

I read (and looked at) Iberia while preparing to visit Spain in 1969. I had already read Hawaii and Caravans by Michener, which are 2 great stories, but this photo essay about Spain astounded me. Although I thought I was prepared, I knew how to speak Spanish, I had lived in Peru for about 3 years, I had seen bullfights, I knew about geography, etc, Michener's short but in depth reflections about places in Spain made me hungry for a trip there, to try to experience some of what he wrote about. The photos are an integral part of this book, I can't remember the name of the photographer.

This book should still be in print! I'll look in a library now.

This book is the best resource for Exchange development, written by the developers who work on Exchange Web Services (EWS) this book is a must-have for any developer that is thinking about writing applications against Exchange. I can't recommend it enough for the examples, in depth explanations, and entertaining writing :)

This book is a must for all developers that want to benefit from the new Exchange Web Services protocols. MSDN documentation is not that great, but the book explains the internals, data types and procedures, giving clear examples. You can't go wrong with it, especially when developing using .NET

This book is not only powerful, but is a must have for anyone developing against Exchange Server either now or in the future. The explanations are both thorough as well as detailed and make it easy for those who have never written web services to get started. The examples are fantastic and complete and in no time at all I was able to get started. I would recommend this book to anyone, new programmers or experienced. Fantastic book!

i got these for a trip to costa rica - i had taken spanish in high school, but hadn't really learned a whole lot. these cds start with the basics/the alphabet, etc. I listened while I brushed my teeth, drove around, worked out, etc and learned quite a bit. They integrate common vocab into the lessons and you really do pick up a lot of the language. i didn't use the cd-roms, but now that i'm going to spain, i think i'll need a little more practice!

Instant Immersion Spanish Audio Deluxe (Instant Immersion) [UNABRIDGED] (Instant Immersion)

I ordered this package because I had previously ordered the instant immersion software and wanted something to complement it while not at the computer. This package is especially nice because in addition to the audio disks, it provides a disc with all the dialog in Printable PDF files so you can follow along with the audio cds if you like or just go back to the printouts for review. Great Product!!!

After taking two years of Spanish in college about ten years ago, I needed a good review prior to a trip to Peru. This 8 audio CD set is ideal for re-learning the language. It is an excellent review. I believe it could also be a good learning tool for someone who wants to commit the time to listen diligently and practice with the audio CD's and learn the language for the first time. I especially like the extra CD-rom that allows all the lessons to be printed in order to see the words and phrases that are spoken. The package includes a second CD-rom which permits the user to practice proper pronunciation on the computer.

I had purchased the Instant Immersion software package (3 audio and 5 CD-rom)and very much liked the audio CD's, but found that I could not commit the time to sit at the computer to review the lessons. This 8-audio deluxe version allows me to learn while I'm driving. I appreciate the style of teaching which is very similar to a classroom setting. Each lesson builds on and reviews the previous teaching. There is adequate time to practice pronunciation and learn new vocabulary and sentence structure. It is not rote memorization which is on some other CD's which I would not recommend.

This collection is an excellent introduction to the reign of the Catholic Monarch, Isabel, and especially to the works written by and about her. While the chapters on her role in religion and on her figure in theater are a bit too general, most of the essays are full of new insights, well-documented commentary, and useful leads for further reading. I was particularly impressed by the two chapters on Isabel's historiography, and that on the crown's relations with its medical officers. These were fascinating and beautifully written, and I have seen nothing on these topics in the many books and articles that I have read about Isabel, both in English and Spanish. In summation, this is a first-rate book, and a "must" for anyone interested in Spain, early-modern women, monarchs, and the way that history is really written.

While there are several major studies of political and social conditions during the reign of Isabel I of Spain, her letters and oratory have remained almost untouched until now. The two essays by David A. Boruchoff in this collection address this deficiency with brilliance, affording a profound understanding of the inner workings of her approach to national and international relations, and of the reservations expressed by those commonly seen as her promoters and allies. The remaining essays are more varied in their interest and quality. These range from serious analyses of religious and social minorities (Jews and Muslims), of medical practitioners within the new political order, and of Isabel's education and struggle to become queen, to more run of the mill pieces on her place in literature, art, and theatre. Nevertheless, the volume as a whole benefits from wonderfully acurate and vibrant translations of primary texts, many never before available in any form in English. Readers may therefore wish to pick and choose among the essays, but this collection is required reading for anyone wishing to know how Isabel's rule really worked, and why she was so successful.

Most books about the Catholic Monarchs are either apologetic or censorious, either panegyrics to the crown's magesty or cruel in condemning its abuse of power. This collection is instead a well-balanced and thoughtful reconsideration of both the good and bad aspects of an extraordinary reign, in which Isabel I of Castile had to confront, and overcome, challenges in both her public and private lives. Some of the essays published here achieve even-handedness by merely presenting the facts of Isabel's engagement in events such as the struggle to become queen, the conquest of Granada, the discovery of America, and her support for the arts and learning. But most are also critical (as the title promises) in a good way: by dissecting the way that she left her mark on history and is remembered by it. There are many new insights here, even in much analyzed areas such as the Catholic Monarchs' dealings with Jews, Muslims, and the Inquisition. But best are the chapters that examine the language of history itself, because in these (especially the first and last essays by the editor) one finds original and thought-provoking insights into problems that go well beyond Spain and Isabel herself, so as to illuminate the relationship between writing and power: history, the scepter and those who wield them.