Bean Books

I know a young girl at the age of nine and she has read small steps. She loved it. I aso love it. It is a great book for ages nine and up. It is about a boy that has a nick name armpit that plans to take small steps to his future. He takes a too big step and is in a bit of a problem. His friend x ray plans to help. Read and find the step out.

Company sent me the wrong book. Then they said that they didn't have the book I ordered any more. Very disappointing that I had to wait a couple of weeks to receive the WRONG book and then not have a replacement sent.

Lois Sachar is a wonderful author, for children and adults alike. Interesting stories, life lessons, etc.

This was a great entertaining sequel. My 11 son read and enjoyed it very much as did I (his 44 yr old mom). Sachar is a great author!

It's a year since I read 'Holes' so the characters Armpit and X-ray felt like they were almost new to me again. Although the characters are in both books and there are references to Camp Green Lake, you don't really lose anything from not having read 'Holes'.
That said, it's nice to see what happens when the boys are back in society, and how apt their jobs are!! :)

Running alongside the story about Armpit and X-ray is another, the day to day life of pop star Kaira DeLeon. She's as confined by her lifestyle and entourage as the boys were when they were back in Camp Green Lake, and is desperate for a little teenage normality.

Ginny is a great character, she is ten, has cerebral palsy and lives next door to Armpit. Stereotypes in general are given a gentle bashing in this book, which is a good thing and makes you question your own unintentional prejudices or behaviour.

I'm not the target audience for 'Small Steps' but still found it enjoyable.

Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairie's Journal is magic! I started to browse through the book on a rainy, Sunday afternoon as I sat on my girlfriend's over-stuffed chair, in front of her fireplace, which wasn't lit, because the nip in the air wasn't nippy enough yet. I just turned 60... a time in life when everything makes sense, and nothing makes sense. Why should it? The more I read, the more I was entranced and swallowed up in the story. There were fairies dancing around me everywhere! I became a child with wide-opened eyes and an imagination that I couldn't control. I didn't want to control..... I was having too much fun reading tiny messages, and even feeling the sample of a delicate fairy wing that was tucked into an envelope. Fortunately, my girlfriend left me in quiet illusion to finish the book before she brought me to her garden. We sat quietly and waited. It wasn't long before a twinkle under a leaf, a rustle behind a tree, and soft, lilty giggles let us know that we were not alone. You see, fairies are joyously inquisitive, and if they know that you can see them, they will frollick about and even brush your cheek as they fly by. I also, have gardens with lots of flowers at my house, and a day doesn't pass where I don't primp, keeping the fairy enticement flowing. Yes, I'm 60, and I do believe in fairies! Don't you?

I think this format with all of the extras, pull-outs, gizmos, and what's-its is here now for good in children's books. The first one my daughter really got into was the Dragonology book. It didn't even read the storyline when I picked this one out, but I figured that she would like it well enough because of all of the do-dads and gee-gaws inside. As it turned out, the storyline is the same as a DVD we had picked up recently that she watches over and over again, so the book was a major hit with her.

I completely agree that the cursive handwritten is difficult to decipher, but that was something my daughter actually liked about the book. She's been teaching herself calligraphy, so she liked the handwritten text. This is not a storybook to be quickly skimmed through. The author/artists clearly intended for this to be a book that girls would spend time coming back to.

I keep this book at my house for ongoing story telling. A little too adult for my 7 yr. old grand daughter. So my hope is that over the years we both will appriciate this book. I have a fairy garden/door to go with the book. We have lots of fun with the both of them.

Both my 3.5 year-old daughter and I are fans of all things fairy and I have been collecting books on the subject for quite some time. "Fairyopolis: A Flower Fairies Journal" is based on a journal kept by Cicely Mary Barker. It is filled with delightful 'treasures' - black and white photographs, reproductions of vintage postcards, a map of Sussex, lift-the-flap features, a field guide to fairies, letters, little booklets ["A dictionary of fairy trees", "Tales of Grateful and Helpful Fairies"] sprinklings of "fairy dust", and of course the gorgeous illustrations of fairy folk in all their delightful finery.

This book is pure delight from the first magical page - it enables one to wander amongst the pages, perusing the beautiful artwork as well as the captivating text [though written in a bit hard to decipher cursive text] and the adventure ends with a wonderful surprise at the end of the book!

I found this book to be a great way to cultivate the love of reading and books in my little one - she flips through these pages at least once a day and it's a favorite request for bedtime reading. We also own "How to Find Flower Fairies" which is simply one of the most beautiful pop-up books on fairies based on Cicely Mary Barker's artwork, and also the sequel to Fairyopolis titled "Return to Fairyopolis" which is not my favorite of the series, but would still delight fans. All in all, highly recommended for fans of fairies and Cicely Mary Barker!

This is wonderful. A real escape! This is my book and I don't allow my grandchildren to play with it.

As fascinating as the stories are, and as meticulous as the research appears to be, the structure of the narrative was frustrating. The chapters jump around and one loses all sense of chronology. I wish the book was better organized. I really wanted to like it more.

"Well behaved women rarely make history" - if that's the case, the famed Everleigh sisters might as well be the spokeswomen for the concept. These classy and conniving sisters revamped the lucrative brothel industry of the early1900's Chicago (well, the entire nation to be more precise). A little history, a little fiction and a lot of time travel - this story takes you back to a lavish smoky parlor filled with characters as opulent as the décor. I devoured it in days that felt like minutes.

When I was five years old, Reading Rainbow's Lavar Burton told me weekly that books can be magic. Come to find out, he was right; books can transport you through time. Karen Abbott has dusted off her wand and brought the magic. Like Devil in the White City before it, Sin in the Second City is all encompassing. The vast amount of information Abbott gives about Chicago in the early 1900s allows us to feel like we are there. We see the city's magnificent graystone mansions, hear its El cars rattle past on the tracks. Abbott navigates so well the balancing act of providing lots of technical details - about Chicago politics, Levee rules and regulations, and court cases involving the Mann Act - while still focusing her attention on the major players, namely the Everleigh sisters, so that we do get some historical background but the book reads more like fiction than a text.

We get a sense of who these women were in their personal lives. Clever and thought-provoking quotes from Minna provide an introduction to several chapters. These sisters are smart and funny and have very modern concerns; they are not locked in time. Perhaps the cornerstone of history appreciation is realizing that people always have and always will be basically the same. Abbott brings this realization about in the most non-intrusive way, by including the little humanizing details like Big Jim Colosimo's penchant for cooking up a big pot of spaghetti during social calls and Minna's Everleigh's routine carriage ride to the bank to make deposits with a choice "butterfly" in tow. As a former teacher, I wonder if we are doing the best job we could as a society to preserve and bring history back to life. Thanks to Abbott, I can see the ghosts of Vic Shaw and company carousing along Michigan Avenue.

To her credit, not only does Abbott bring the residents of the Levee district back to life, but she portrays them fairly, with a sympathetic voice, despite the nature of their enterprise. It would be so easy to discount the Levee aldermen and their henchmen or any of the Everleighs' bitter competitors as villains, but Abbott appreciates the gray areas and allows the reader to make his or her own value judgments.

The structure of the book is also worth mentioning. Abbott does an excellent job weaving in and out of topics. It's the literary equivalent of collecting random photographs and putting them into a scrapbook so that they make sense juxtaposed. Details about Bell and other reformers and the day-to-day goings on in the development of the fight against white slavery fit seamlessly between the more salacious stories of the Everleigh courtesans.

Ultimately, Abbott tells a scintillating story while simultaneously bringing up the BIG issues - bias and sensationalism in media coverage, the hypocrisy of some of the religious reformers, and the fight for women's suffrage and for fair wages - namely how the investigation into white slavery served as an opportunity for women to insert themselves into political discourse.

Overall, an amazing piece! I highly recommend it.

What I love about this book:

- Terrific writing with vivid details about the lives of the Everleigh Sisters
- A real feel for what it was like to live and work in the demimonde at the turn of the century
- A sense of drama with the stories of the rivalries between brothels, the religious movement and the machinations of the political and legal systems.
- Excellent insight into the greater social forces in regards to sexuality and women

This is just a fascinating read - if you're like me, you won't put it down until the last page (and i am a notorious half-finisher, so that's quite a feat!) A fantastic choice for book clubs too!

I *highly* recommend this - one chapter in and I guarantee that you will become a rabid fan like me.

For those that love to read a book that grabs them and doesn't let go - Karen Abbott's Sin in the Second City is a MUST. Not only does the reader get an enjoyable history lesson- but along the way Karen shows us how so much of what we know and experience today - is not new at all.

The portrait of the Everleigh sisters is simply fascinating, Chicago of the early 1900's was made for Abbott's prose - and the best part is - She's writing another book. People will read again - and Karen is one of the reasons why. Read this book. Its SUPER.

It's 1799 in India, and Sharpe is 22, a private and thinking of deserting. His arch enemy, Hakeswill, is making his life a misery, and he is bored of the army routine of "hurry up and do nothing". Provoked into striking Hakeswill, Sharpe is flogged. After only part of the sentence is carried out, he's then offered a special assignment. From then on we are taken on a fast and furious action-packed ride based around the Siege of Seringapatam, with Sharpe joining Lieutenant Lawson on a mission to infiltrate the enemy to seek information and free Lawson's uncle who has been captured by the Tippoo.

Cornwall makes no effort to gloss over the privations and unfairness of army life, particularly for the rank and file, and spares no detail of the blood and gore of the events leading up to the siege and the final battle itself. Chronologically, this is the first episode of the Sharpe saga, and is based on real-life events, and the author openly acknowledges where he has altered proceedings giving as his reason "... fictional heroes must be given suitable employment".

This is a well-written and researched book, with loads of local colour and much 19th Century cant to evoke the atmosphere of the times. Its fast paced action gets you hooked into the storyline right from the first page, and I found myself unable to put it down. Admittedly, Sharpe's attitude towards women is definitely not PC, but does reflect both his character and the prevailing attitudes of the times, and we are provided with some glimpses of his softer side.

If you're looking for a pacey adventure based on historical fact, then I recommend "Sharpe's Tiger" as a great introduction into an engrossing series. For those of you wanting more details of the history around the Sharpe series, Cornwell recommends the timeline by Brian Timmins at [...]

I have read all the Sharpe's books thru the years. I love them all. My son likes to listen to audiobooks and I think he will enjoy these books as much as I do, so even though I own the book, I bought the audio version so he could listen to it.

a throughly enjoyable read. you can read this book for the simple joy of a tightly written, well plotted work of fiction, or as a novelization of historical events or enjoy both at the same time. Cornwell has a chapter in the back of each book that tells you what part of the book is historical fact and what part he inserted his characters in. I have enjoyed the progress of his characters through his many books, Sharp rises through the ranks from privet to major, because of his daring and courage and ambition, not something that happened very often in the British army where rank was generally purchased.

When I checked this book out of the local library, my favorite librarian looked concerned. Based on her knowledge of my reading habits, she was dubious that I would like Sharpe's Tiger. Knowing her reading tastes, I soon realized that the book is far too bloody, raw, and unrestrained for her delicate sensibilities. If you like your adventure stories to be pretty antiseptic in protecting you from grisly reality, this book won't be for you. If, on the other hand, you enjoy feeling like you are there and experiencing the story, you'll adore Sharpe's Tiger.

The year is 1799. The place is Mysore in India. Richard Sharpe is a relatively untested private who is good at thinking and acting quickly. After Sergeant Bickerstaff dies, Sharpe becomes first in line to marry his beautiful widow, a half-Indian half-English woman, Mary Bickerstaff. But that's a dangerous thing to do because one of the officers and a sergeant have designs of Mrs. Bickerstaff for immoral purposes that will bring some money to them as well. Sergeant Obadiah Hakeswill sets Sharpe up to make a fatal blunder, and Sharpe falls for the plot. As a result, Sharpe is at risk of losing his life.

While this is going on, Colonel McCandless who leads the British military intelligence activities has learned a crucial secret for successfully seizing Seringapatam, the well-defended Mysore seat of the Tippoo who is the most fierce and determined enemy of the British in India. Before Colonel McCandless can pass on the secret, he is captured by the Tippoo. McCandless's only hope now is that his emergency plan to secure a rescue will work.

Sharpe is drafted for a suicide assignment to pretend to be a deserter and infiltrate Seringapatam in an attempt to free the Colonel before the siege begins. His potential reward is to earn Sergeant's stripes so that he can be free of Hakeswill's authority. The story suddenly goes from army boredom to taut suspense as Sharpe's life is continually hanging in the balance.

The story provides a wealth of details about the British and East India Company armies at the time and the life of the independent Indian leaders. You'll also learn a lot about battle strategy and tactics of the time.

Richard Sharpe is a truly extraordinary hero for being cool under fire, resourceful, and quick to gain an advantage. He also has the perspective of a general without the rank and authority to do much more than lead his own steps when no superior officers are around.

The book is filled with exciting action, intriguing challenges, and brooding evil. Naturally, you'll be rooting for Sharpe to drive out those who are doing or want to do wrong. But the good versus evil isn't that clear. The Tippoo isn't a bad ruler: He's just the enemy of Richard Sharpe.

Although the book is somewhat simplistic in its morality, I think you'll enjoy a break from all of those books written today about anti-heroes.

I especially liked the glimpses of the young Arthur Wellesley before he became the famed Duke of Wellington.

I am looking forward to reading more books in the series.

First of all, I am a big fan of the series. I have read many of them, although not in the chronological order. When I got my hands over this book I was thrilled. But then I got to the part when he made up verses of the "Koran".
This is not a real review, I have not completed the book because of that, but I felt I should at least state the mistake in it.
I pride myself for being open minded. I didn't object to the fact that the enemy were a Muslim. There were and are some incredibly stupid ones in history, it is human nature, but I could not go any further from the page where the made up verse was. I rated three, even though I suspect I would rate it more if I could complete it, I can't. It may sound silly to you, but I was offended.
I know it is fiction, but one of the things I like about Cornwell is how much research he puts in his books, I wish he made sure everything was correct in it, we muslims, do read other books too.

This book begins a new type of series for Brooks. Three hundred years into the future from where Wishsong ended, the Four Lands have changed dramatically. The Federation, just an upstart bureaucracy when last we left them, has basically taken over, ruling the country with a repressive, quasi-Communistic fist that "outlaws" magic. The Dwarves have been enslaved, the Elves disappeared off the face of the continent and the Trolls have retreated into the harsh landscape of the north, hoping to be left alone. This series for Brooks takes a new turn--although we again have a pair of Ohmsfords leading the way, and even an ancestor of the Leahs acting as protector (and also a few more bemusing ancestral connections I'll leave for the reader to discover) -this four-book series will follow the same cast of characters throughout all the books; no more generation hopping. In the first book, the shade of Allanon summons Par Ohsmford, his "uncle" Walker Boh and his "cousin" Wren to the Hadeshorn. There he warns them that, atlhough he thought the time of magic had died with him and the shutting away of Paranor, he was wrong. The magic, it seems, is part of the Earth and cannot be banished. And once again, someone has gone mucking around in it and disaster has resulted--mainly creatures called Shadowen that are feeding off the souls of people, most especially people with magic. Allanon sends the trio in search for talismans he says can destroy the Shadowen and save the earth from turning into a post-apocalyptic hell (the Shadowen, or their magic, are also destroying the landscape). Walker, who, as it happens, really hates Druids, is charged with bringing back the Druids and Paranor (he's not too excited about this idea). Wren is told to discover what happened to the Elves and then return them to Westland. Par is charged with finding what happened to the long-missing Sword of Shannara.
This first book is, more of less, just the opening scene for the four-part series detailing how these characters go about fulfilling their charges. We mostly follow Par and his brother, Coll, through the end of this one, but the ending is open and sends you plunging directly into the next in the series. The book is, again, plagued by some of the stuff that persistently annoys me about Brooks work (mainly, the constant whining and introspection about having to use magic, and people withholding secrets), but I found the parts that focused on Federation rule, the very-scary secret police Seekers and the fate of the Dwarves fascinating and very well-done.

i love the shannara series. i bought this for my nephew in hopes he enjoys it as much as i do.

Brooks returns with a great book with everything a Shannara fan is looking for. Highly reccomended to those who have finished the Sword series and are looking for more.

my first terry brooks novel, and purely by chance. since then, i was hooked. don't care if people say that brooks was a hack compared to tolkien. i like both authors--they have their own writing styles, and both are very good in their art.

what is great about brooks and his shannara series is that every chapter is riveting. there were times when i really couldn't put the book down--i just wanted to gobble up every scene, every confrontation, every revelation. besides having fantastical characters, there's also humor, romance, and even serious emotional turmoil. plus, the way brooks describes his characters and the world around them is so textured and rich: one can feel the beat of the sun on the characters' faces, the merciless twists and turns of the forests that they traverse, the pounding adrenalin as they are pursued, even the despair and exhilaration that overcomes them at salient points of their journeys. surely only something a master storyteller could execute.

i'll always be grateful that i discovered the shannara series thru the Scions--(well, after this novel, it was just romance between me and its other installments... ^_^ )

I thought this was a really interesting book. I'm glad I didn't have to wait two years or so to find out how the cliff hanger was going to be resolved.

Once again Terry Brooks takes the Omsford family and the Leah family on a quest to stand against a great evil in the land. Once again the characters are not sure they want to be part of this quest but once again they are told them must and come to realize that (although Walker Boh still wasn't sure at the end)it is their destiny to do so.

While the concept is a little repetative if you've just read the Sword of Shannara series, it still works. The story in this book and series are a lot more indebth than the SofS series. Not quite as much action but a lot more plot and character development but enough action to keep you on your toes. I'm glad he found a way to put Allanon in this book. I kind of missed that character from the SofS series.

Once again Terry Brooks has setup what appears to be a great series. He's got great characters, great villian(s) and heroes that you can real feel and love or love to hate. This book is also very clean, a little violent but that's what you expect from these kind of books, but no sex, no swearing and nothing overly fowl or vulger. It's a book you can have your kids read and not worry about.

I am looking forward to see how this series ends. Terry Brooks is an awesome writer.

I love this cookbook! Just plain, good food for people who want to keep things simple. You won't need high-priced extras to fix these recipes. Forget gourmet! And lots of frugal tips I haven't seen before. Glad I got this book!

I had been curious about this book for a long time, but I just bought one recently. I wish I had bought it years ago. A fantastic book for any family looking to cut down expenses, particularly on their food bill. This book is chock full of sensible, good-tasting recipes the whole family can enjoy. It calls for no fancy ingredients that you have to buy specifically for a recipe. You probably already have most ingredients in your pantry. There are also MANY tips to save time in the kitchen and good ideas for homemade gifts that people can really appreciate. Lots of recipes for kids, picky eaters, etc. Just a wealth of information. This book would make a great gift for any young homeschooling or stay-at-home mom who is looking for ways to live comfortably on one income. I highly recommend this one.

OH MY GOSH this is exactly the book I have been looking for.

I have loads of cook books from expensive recipes to amish style cooking and this one is my FAVORITE!!! Now when I do my bi-weekly meal planning I grab ONLY this book instead of a whole bunch of my other cook books. I was looking for something that was good old style cooking without all those ingrediants that I never have on my shelf because they are too expensive.

Super easy and delicious recipes.

Better then Betty Crocker :o).

I recommend this book out to EVERYONE I know.

My only problem is that my book is falling apart because I abuse the heck out of it.

I will just have to order another one soon. I WON"T dare go without my 'Not Just Beans" cookbook.

I just want to say a BIG thank you for making this WONDERFUL cookbook its exactly what I was looking for. I am teaching my teen age daughter to cook with this book. :o)

My only question is will you make Not Just Beans #2 ?

*hee hee*. Hint Hint. with more of you wonderful recipes!!!

Those reveiws that complain about too much fat, sugar etc can EASILY be adapted to fit there lifestyle.
I was surprised to see some of the reveiws in there about this not being low fat etc. It DOESN"T Claim to be.
Some people like my family need the fat in our diet or we would wither away to nothing. and our cholesteral is great.
I used Whole Wheat flour and honey in place of some of the ingredients in her recipes and have had great success. As well as you can cut down the fat also. Using lower fat cheeses, sourcream etc. So the only dissappointment that I have are the people that complain that they can't use it because its not vegan enough or low fat.
All I can say is adapt the recipes to your taste and lifestyle.

Tawra AWSOME job. Keep us posted on when #2 comes out because I want to be the first to know. :o)



Thank you so much



Michelle in Washington

I love this book! It has seen us through some really tough times. The weeks we are broke my husband thinks we are eatting better than normal. Everything I have tried has turned out great, the Chicken & dumplings, french dressing, pumpkin bread, no bake cookies, chicken salad and the list goes on. (My kids love the play-dough recipe). This book is sooo worth it's price. I would love to buy a couple copies for our local food bank.

I have wasted even more money because I've had to throw out so much that was just awful! I did fix a couple of things that we liked like the 90 minute rolls but most of it I had to throw out. I'm very disappointed. Not much, if any, flavor in any of the recipes I tried. I'm glad so many others have liked it but it just really wasn't for my family.

A classic from my childhood, I enjoy giving this to pre-teen girls and all of them have said they enjoy it, too.

I love this book - I got it for my granddaughter, who will love it as well.

The Borrowers are tiny little guys, but otherwise people. They get along by using junk that is lying around and adapting it for their own use. This book is about what happens when a human boy actually discovers them, after moving into their area.

Not a particularly uncommon theme, and this one is pretty dull.

Have you ever pondered where your hairclips, bobby pins and thimbles have gotten to? Do you wonder why small quantities of your father's tobacco and Madeira seem to smoke themselves or evaporate? Did your wooden knight ever ride off the chessboard never to be seen again?

You don't even know what I'm talking about, do you? OK, so have you ever lost your iPod Nano? Maybe the Borrowers needed a stereo for their home entertainment system. The same thing happened to your Nintendo Gameboy.

Mary Norton's "The Borrowers" published in 1952 is about a race of little people living beside a rain pipe, over the mantel, behind the harpsichord and in all the nooks and crannies of the house. These little people "borrow" from us, the big people. They use blotting paper for their carpets, a single onion ring for their cooking and postage stamps for wall portraits.

In the book, Pod, Homily and Arriety are the last Borrowers left in Aunt Sophy's house. They lived in the floorboards under the kitchen ad entered and exited their home from a hole behind the grandfather clock. They weren't rich but they had everything they needed - potatoes for their supper, a gas pipe leak for their cooking, a foie gras dish for their bath. Pod, the father, ventures into the house every now and then for supplies.

This is the story of how Arriety, after being allowed to go borrowing with her father, befriended a nine-year old boy who was a visitor in the house. Then their lives change forever: They discover news about their Borrower relatives, gain new riches and then lose everything they own.

This is a good story to read in a big house on a rainy afternoon. Perhaps you can explore the house for little corners where a Borrower may be living. Or you can guess which of the little things lying around the house are useful for them.

Even if you live in an apartment in the big city with the most modern furniture and high tech gadgets, it would still be fun to imagine what a Borrower family would be using these days. What would a Borrower your age be playing with? What would they use for furniture? Where would they be living?

I bought a package of IKEA tealight candles once and some of them have disappeared. Perhaps a family of Borrowers illuminate their cozy little home with them. Well, they can buy their own iPhone if they need to surf the internet; I'm not letting mine out of my sight.

Whoosh! You see a hat pin sail across the room, much like a javelin, and pin onto the lace curtain. Then, a small man no more than six inches tall scurries across the room.

Welcome to the world of the Borrowers; Pod, Homily, and Arrietty Clock. They live under the floorboards and borrow anything from potatoes to blotting paper. The tiny people live in an old country house, inhabited by `human beans'.
All goes well for the small family until Arrietty is `seen' by a boy. The Borrowers think that `human beans' are always vicious and bad, but this boy turns out to be friendly.
The boy befriends the Clocks and even helps them borrow.
Then, Pod makes the mistake of borrowing precious knick-knacks from the mistress.
Mrs. Driver, the housekeeper, is getting suspicious. Who could be stealing these things?
She sprouts a plan to trap the thieves.
Will the Clocks be caught? Will they have to emigrate?

I thought this book was funny. The Borrowers have limited knowledge on the outside world making the way they act and think seem silly. The book is entertaining, and it is not action packed all the way. It gives you time to think about what you just read, and doesn't zoom through everything. This book is good for all ages. Mary Norton did a great job writing this book.

Item came on time and in great condition! Interesting read and easy to follow.

I usually like business fables. This one was unfortunately well below par . . . and not because the business described was uninteresting. The business was very interesting.

But the book spent too much time going away from talking about the fable and into attempting to be an elementary class on how to run a very small business. I admit it. The unending repetition of the 4 P's (Passion, People, Personal and Product) got to me.

Is there anyone on the planet who doesn't know that good products sell better than less good ones? Are there any small business people who don't know that your people make a difference? Have you ever been annoyed if people gave you more personal service? Do you enjoy buying from passionate people?

If you know those things, you can skip this book. You've already passed this course.

I liked that the book was based on a real business where anyone would want to buy their coffee. I also liked that the advice was to give great service and products.

But aside from describing how they run their coffee business, this book was pretty boring and simplistic. For me the upside of the book was the description of peddling to work by bicycle trailed by cookies you've baked yourself and enjoying a half-hour ferry ride in between. That sounded very great indeed!

This is not a great book. It is short and sweet but general knowledge. It can serve as a great reminder but unless it is in the clearance bin don't bother.

Although there are literally tens of business cases presented in short book if not parable form for popular audiences, BEANS, recommends itself as one of the best ones by virtue of its usefulness for both managers and employees.

It tells a compelling story that presents real world challenges and realistic solutions. It presents a scale of business almost everyone should be able to relate to since it isn't about the sometimes otherworldly power plays the Captains of Industry like to write about. For the rest of us, the human-sized, daily dilemmas of making one's vision work while surviving to make them work, is sensibly and warmly expressed in BEANS.

BEANS is the kind of book that could pay for itself, if a saavy entrepreneur who resonates with its commonsense, promoted its message in their own enterprise.

This book is so poorly written it is laughable. This is a fable for yuppies who are fascinated by Seattle and expensive coffee drinks. The points it tries to make are so obvious (treat customers well, etc) that anyone who still needs to learn them has no place in the business world.
The author keeps inserting street names and places in Seattle as if to say "I know Seattle, isn't that cool?", but the writing is so bad and the points so obvious it could be condensed to a three or four page pamphlet.
I read the author's bio, and apart from working at Amazon (that's in Seattle!) he does not appear to have any real world experience. This is a bad book written by two "consultants" looking to cash in on the self help business book boom.
Leaf through it in a book store sometime and you will see what I mean.
Utter crap. Don't waste your money.

You know, before reading this book, the way most single women behaved with regard to dating/sex confused the hell out of me. It just didn't make sense when I saw a woman blow off nice, intelligent, successful guys and gravitate towards nothing but arrogant jerks. This book outlines some pretty compelling theories about why many women behave this way. After you've read this book, you've got some level of understanding about what goes on in a woman's head. So you've got that going for you...

As if that wasn't enough, these guys tell you how to use that type of behavior to your advantage when you decide you want to bed one of these women. And then they give you some nifty pointers to use in the sack once you get there. I'm sure for a nominal fee, they'd even come out to your local bar and act as your wing man, but you shouldn't need that much help. This book's all you need.

I originally thought that the book would be funny and not truly be serious about the dynamics of male and female dating. Was I surprised! The book is not only funny, but insightful and unpretentious. This is the definitive book for understanding the mysteries of dating. The only other work I'm remotely familiar with that broaches the subject is the independent film, "The Tao of Steve" which has a surprise ending unlike "The Sauce." I can't wait for "The Sauce II" when Bad Seed Bob discusses the dynamics of marriage.

Best "how to" book ever. Borrowed this from my friend and tried it out that night in the bars. First night all I got was "like you are so rude"s. Did the same thing the next weekend and played the chapter 9 and 10 gig verbatim, complete with the line, "what was your name again?" Got some more "you are such an idiot" that night but felt the change coming on slowly. Finally, watching out for TSDZ I waited several weeks before going back into battle. Well, that was last weekend and this time, I bumped into some of the same people. This time, I was bad seed -3x and got lines like.."hey, why were you such an butthead to me several weeks ago, you are not that bad afterall". Key message, I was a playa this last weekend and owe it all to that little green book...The Sauce.

The Sauce is an incredibly sophisticated analysis of dating and mating behaviors; don't be thrown off by the humorous drawings and the irreverant humor throughout! The authors have truly done their research (and I'm sure had a great time doing it). Their use of mathematical analogies to explain the complex interactions involved in human behavior is both funny and interesting. I actually laughed out loud while reading this thought-provoking analysis of dating behavior. As a psychologist, I appreciate the incredibly intelligent way that the authors have summarized what we know to be true from various social psychology experiments on human interaction (all the while laughing my ass off). The Sauce is a quick read that is not to be dismissed!

Ok - so I never realized I wanted to change my bad seed Bob to a good seed! This book is filled with little insights on what we do as women when we want to get a man and what we do once we get them - things we never realized. It's also nice that they get the word out on the Hair Pull - it's about time!! We know we love it! Excellent book, insighful, entertaining, and it will make you laugh and roll your eyes occasionally. It wouldn't be "saucy" if it didn't.

This was a really great book. I'm not a big fan of vampire stories, but Hubbard doesn't go overboard with it. It isn't soley the fact that Ariella is vampire or all about her fighting herself and temptations for blood. She is simply an average girl that happens to be a half-vampire.
Hubbard's character development is fantastic. I was able to get into the characters and relate to each of them in some way or another. Especially Ari and her search for who she is.
I hope to see more of these characters and many more books by Ms. Susan Hubbard.

Ariella is a young girl, growing up alongside a highly smart yet standoffish, father. As she begins to learn more about the life outside her home, she realizes that there is a lot of danger that nobody ever told her about. As she gains a friend, they realize that her father might not be quite who he seems to be...and are vampires even real? Ariella begins to find the answers to some questions, but must go on a search to find the mother she never knew to gather them all.

The Society of S is an amazing novel that I would highly recommend. It's more then just a paranormal tale and is not to be taken as light reading. Susan Hubbard wrote an engaging, intellectual tale that is sure to please many who are looking for a thought-provoking read.


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I've read a lot of vampire books--you could say I'm a bit of a connoisseur. So I appreciate a fresh perspective on the idea, which is exactly what Hubbard's book brings. It centers on 13 year old Ariella Montero--delicate and protected from the world by a reclusive father after her mother disappeared shortly after her birth. It's certainly a coming of age story, though this teenager has a few more things to deal with than your average middle-schooler. She begins to slowly but certainly unravel the mystery of her life, what's going on in the basement of her father's old Victorian, and just who she is and what she is becoming. Intelligently written, it paints a plausible picture of how a modern day vampire could survive and in fact thrive in the 21st century. Filled with loneliness and discovery, it is a very compelling read.

I read "The Society of S" in about 2 days & enjoyed it fairly well. I've seen some people comparing this book to "Twilight," but I feel that "Twilight" is much better. "Society" seems to have been written only to set up the next novel in this series, "The Year of Disappearances," which sounds like it will have a more concrete plot than "Society." This book was good, but I cannot give it 5 stars because it seemed to stop short of a truly fulfilling conclusion. I was shocked when I turned the last page of chapter 19 only to find an epilogue.

The writing was well done & had the same dreamy quality that Stephenie Meyer seems to achieve, but the story held no suspense for me. The first third was the most interesting, & the story tapered off from there. I'm giving this book 4 stars for the quality of the writing, not the plot.

Ariella Montero has always lived differently from anyone else. She lives with her father in a mansion in Saratoga Springs, NY, where she is home-schooled by her father. Her only other contact with the outside world is their housekeeper - she has never had a friend her age. Her father keeps her on a strictly vegetarian diet, saying she has a type of blood disorder, and spends his days in the basement - his lab - with the unappealing Mrs. Root as his assistant.

When the housekeeper decides that Ari needs to get out and meet some young people, she asks permission for Ari to come home with her and have dinner at their house. The McGarritt's noisy world - with several children - is so different from what Ari knew, but she eventually became close friends with them. However, she begins to learn about her mother, and decides one day to go seek her out.

Most of the book is her journey south, and about her discovering her mother and their secret. OH, you want to know the secret? Read the book! It's a really interestingly created coming of age story. I highly recommend it.