Bean Books

I bought this book several years ago and didn't like it, put it on the shelf and didn't look at it again until last month. I must have changed as a cook because what I thought was too complicated and bizarre before was now helpful and interesting. This book has changed the way I think about beans and my approach to creating new dishes. Anyone interested in improving their creative skills in the kitchen, understanding a cook's thought behind a recipe, as well as learning tasty ways to include healthy vegetarian bean dishes in the daily diet should treasure this book. It is really one of a kind.

I love the author's approach to bean cookery...the elemental "feeling" that the attributes to various types of beans...the taste, textures and energetics both in the bean itself as well as the various cooking methods. She really takes beans to a (deserved) higher level! My only reason for four stars is that frequently the recipes call for slightly odd ingredients which one might not normally have on hand; sometimes I was ready to prepare a recipe only to find I had no garam marsala, (or plantain, white miso, etc.)on hand and that this item was supposedly critical to the final taste. Personally I find it better to experiment anyway, and this gives you the springboard to becoming more adventurous.

This is a great book if you are researching the ethnobotanical uses of plants by southern California Indian groups. It has helped me tremendously in my research for my master's degree in Anthropology. However, some of the scientific names have changed since the book was published, sometimes making it problematic to obtain correct identifications. Nevertheless, whether you are interested from an academic standpoint, or just want to learn more about native Californians and plants, this is a great place to start.

In my opinion, this is the best ethnobotany ever written. (I am no expert, but I have read at least 30 ethnobotanical studies.) Mrs. Saubel's contribution as a learned Cahuilla elder and true co-author is unequalled in other ethnobotanical studies of Native people. She is well known and respected by Native people throughout southern California and elsewhere. You really get a sense of how traditional Cahuilla use the various plants of their region. I recommend this book very highly to anyone interested in the history of California, Native people, and ethnobotany.

I've read this book twice--it's a wonderful, quirky account of Orson Bean's personal and professional life. He's a funny and gifted writer--a man who views life with both sarcasm AND compassion. Bean has re-invented himself many times throughout his varied career. No stranger to trendy self-help programs, he always retained his independence and individuality, no matter what fad he was exploring at the time. Bean believes in living a joy-filled life but it took him many decades to learn how. This unconventional autobiography is honest and touching. There's also a little metaphysical wisdom ready to be uncovered if you are sharp enough to read between the lines. Definitely NOT your typical, name-dropping celebrity autobiography. Bean is a wise and compassionate man and he shares his hard-earned wisdom in this book.

If you are looking for charming, heart-felt, quirky tales of misadventure, Orson Bean's autobiography can surely pacify you. Bean is an amazing character that has the power to lift the spirit with his blantant charm and lust for life. His stories are outright wonderful. This is simply stated, honest book. A real gem.

I used this book for my vascular anatomy exam,and I passed! I mainly do venous studies in my department, with limited arterial study exposure from a prior job. I really like the other imaging modality questions and explanations (i.e. MRI & Angiography studies and what is the pathology in question). They do put questions like that on the boards. Yes, I am a Rad Tech (4 yrs. professional).

this is a pretty good book that asks a variety of questions to prepare you for the boards!!

Okay, so I'm kind of young but hey! I can still review a great book. Wooden teeth and Jelly beans is a book about presidents- but not the ordinary kind. It gives great facts in a fun and colorful way. I enjoyed reading it and kept on reading it over and over. I reccommend this book for anyone that can read or is in the ages of 7 to 777 years old. I especially loved the pictures that are like really good charicatures of all the presidents from Washington to Clinton. I really hope you pick up this book because this book is the best example I have seen of an educational book that can be fun!

My sister-in-law bought this book for her nieces, ages two and three. The book is too advanced for them, but not for me. I enjoy pointing out the wonderful cartoon presidents to them and guess what, they know a lot of their names. However, there is a lot they don't understand, but when they get to be about four or five this book will be ready and waiting for them.

The book starts out with a few words the young student needs to know to grasp the idea of the presidency and what it represents. The words are ambassador, assassination, cabinet, congress, constitution, Continental Congress, Declaration of Independence, impeachment, inauguration, secede and veto. As you can see, if your preschooler understood what these words meant, she would be well on her way to what President Gerald Ford calls in the introduction, her "greatest asset."

This book is beautifully done and you know what? I learned, or re-learned, a lot. Yes, this wonderful book is good for big people too. Five stars from Captain Katie.

Review submitted by Captain Katie Osborne

I ventured out of my usual kind of reads for this book because of all the hype. It sounded kinda interesting. When I read the blurbs on it, I was expecting some kind of big epiphany from it. I'm disappointed in it, it was just a weird story that dragged on, and the back and forth in time thing was confusing. I've read other books with that technique that flowed well and were easy to follow. I am giving it three stars because Mr. Martel can obviously write, no shortage of talent there. There is also a decent amount of creativity in his book. The third star is me admitting that I bought this book because of the hype, so I won't punish it because it's not my usual taste. Honestly, the story is not that interesting, a lot of the scenes seemed pointless, and the big message of the book comes across weak and contrived. Like someone shoved it in hoping it would leave you in awe. It doesn't. I really don't get the big hoopla here. Wasn't time well-spent for me.

Life of Pi is a very interesting book once you get past the beginning. In the whole first part of the book, I had to force myself to read it. I would have stopped if the book was not assigned for school. Yann wrote about topics as if he had just watched a show on The Animal Planet and wanted to tell us about why animals did certain things like escaping from their enclosure. But after I got past that part, which put me to sleep. I could not stop reading. He describes Pi's adventure with so much detail that it was practically a movie in the form of words. He really gives a lot of personality to the tiger; Richard Parker. Richard Parker is such a huge role and I think it is very hard to describe an animal's personality with such detail.
If you can get past the first part of the book, you will enjoy the rest of the story. All i can say is that Yann wrote with so much detail that it ties you to the two main characters, Richard Parker and Pi.

it breaks down all barriers of imagination and offers a breathtaking understanding of life through a story of simple transition from innocence to maturity...something each adult reader can relate to. be prepared for the more graphic details in the second and third section of the book which are a little unpleasant, but it is this very crudeness that gives the book that extra sense of realism and makes the book a thrilling read... i definitely recommend it!

A wonderful, imaginative and utterly engaging meditation on the existence of God, really (not to mention a rollicking good tale). And in the final analysis, I like the story with the animals in it better! (see page 352) Enjoy.

A juvenile story which poorly masks religious/philosophical messages. To make it worse, at the end the author explains the whole thing for those who somehow miss the insipid point.

For those of us who grew up during the civil rights movement or on the fringe and are now seeing the change The Secret Life of Bees is a clear reminder of where the march begins in a place we can clearly see and feel. Take the chance and go back to that place, feel the feelings and be empowered.

This book makes for a great read. 'Secret Life' provokes the reader to reflect on all of the positive changes that America has undergone since the 1960's. Additionally, any woman/little girl who has struggled to find her true identity can relate to Lily's plight. With that being said, however great the movie, I do not believe that the actresses chosen to portray the book's characters match each character's true essence. I am glad that I make it a point to read the book prior to watching the movie adaptation.

This book was so captivating I could not put it down. I experienced a gamet of emotions from feelings of happiness, sadness, guilt, anger, lonliness as well as a sense of belonging. I would highly recommend this book.

This book is great. I finished it in about 3-4 sittings. You don't want to put it down. I can't wait to see the movie.

Reading the Secret Life of Bees during one of what is undoubtedly one of the most historic elections of my lifetime, most likely most Americans lifetimes was intriguingly nostalgic and retrospective of the changes in our United States that took place during the civil rights movement all the way to present. In the Secret Life of Bees, the racial divide is crudely exposed, but is described in a nurturing fashion of the coming of age story of Lily Owens. The characters are full of hope for their future and the racial divide in the book is bridged momentarily. Now, after the recent election and finishing the book shortly after Nov. 4th it seems the racial divide is once again bridged at least momentarily.

I rarely enjoy anything that Oprah picks... even when I read it before she does. This was an exception. The story of Astrid is disturbing, painful, and beautiful all at the same time. She is dealt more hard knocks then you can imagine, and starting at a very young age. Maybe she gets through it all because she really doesn't know any different. White Oleander is a roller coaster of emotions, and a book you won't be able to put down

This book was a great read from beginning to end. I loved the writing style, it was unique from other novels. You get to experience life as Astrid and every page will make you want to read more and more. Fascinating characters, wonderful story...tragic at times. You get to learn a lot about life when a child goes through group homes and how its not easy.

If you want a tragic story, a great read, view of life in a way you have never seen and imagine seeing...this book is for you.

Its one of my favorite books!

It's a nice interesting read with a good unique story. I liked it a lot.

I read the Kindle version of this, but the text is the same, so that probably doesn't matter.

White Oleander the story of a young girl named Astrid Magnussen with a mother who is...unique. If I'm being kind. A terribly sociopathic pretentious abuser would be a more accurate description. Her mother is a poet, or fancies herself as one, and lives life on a level that her skill, fame and money cannot support. None of that matters, and neither does her daughter. If her daughter can be a prop in the great play of Ingrid Magnussen's life, then Astrid will be used that way. If not? Just ignore the child.

Mom does something serious and goes to jail. Astrid becomes a ward of the state and travels from home to home, growing up and trying to figure out how she sees the world, how she wants the world to see her and with every day that passes, seeing through her mother's cloud of lies, pretense and verbal abuse. What happens is not as important as how and why it happens, and Janet Fitch spends a lot of time making sure the reader understands the thoughts that run screaming through Astrid's head. We learn a great deal about how each home and family and friend she makes or doesn't affects how she develops.

There's a bit of Nabokov in Fitch's writing, and not just because there is a Lolita-like passage. The writing - all first-person from Astrid herself - starts out clunky, awkward, like someone who wants to write like a classic master but can't. Over time, as Astrid grows up, is exposed to other people and gets distance from her overbearing, pretentious mother, the writing changes. It becomes more utilitarian and less poetic, yet just as vivid. The writing transforms into (sometimes complex) sentences made up of simple, descriptive elements instead of overly-long poorly done purple prose. You can see these people, her drawings, the houses...Fitch does a good job painting the mental picture you need to truly connect with this material.

If there is a negative to be said, it's that the first chapter is hard to get through. I think that is intentional. There are cliched metaphors, contradictory elements, badly written sentences...I think all of these things are designed to teach you what constant exposure to her mother has done to Astrid's young mind, how it shaped the way she thinks.

One other aspect that could be seen as negative is that it's pretty depressing. Ultimately you can see it as uplifting in that Astrid survives some pretty horrible things and comes out the other side stronger and smarter. Although she is (rightfully) wary of most people and still unsure of her place in the world, you get the feeling she's starting to find it.

Very interesting book. Well crafted, with strong characters and a real sense of the places and things Astrid sees and feels. If you read "A Tree Grows In Brooklyn" when you were younger and you want a more sophisticated, modern version of that story? White Oleander is the book for you. If you ever spent any time in the care of the state, you will recognize the people and the situations in which Astrid finds herself.

You'll also very much identify with Astrid if you spent your youth under the thumb of a domineering, overbearing parent.

From what my wife told me about the movie, I don't know if I ever want to see it, good though it may be. I really enjoyed the experience of this book and some the things that were changed in order to make the film are things of which I could not let go. I would never give the movie a fair shake, not any time soon anyway.

I read this novel a decade ago and this well-written story and all the myriad real-life issues it canvasses stays with me still fresh. I'd recommend it to anyone.

I really enjoyed this book. When I started it I wasn't exactly sure what to expect, but I was immediately swept into the story and the relationship between Griet and Vermeer.

I think I'll rent out the movie now :)

I started to read it and could not put it down.

Some authors will spend pages describing a scene or a person, making a book drag out. This author, with a few words, made you feel like you where standing next to the character.

I loved it. The way the writer portrayed each character was so vivid that you can almost see what they look like and the way they talk. It is a great book.

A friend recommended this book to me and I completely loved it. The movie adaptation was completely beautiful, adding a visual aspect to the story, but the book, as usual, managed to carry more depth to the story; a sense of how very hard the girl had to work, the kinds of pressure she was under and how very dangerous it was for her to pose for the painting.
Unforgettable.

we read this in English class. So good... easy words, but created a great sense of romance and mystery

Maniac Magee is a wonderful book for any child to read. I read this bbok for me Children's Literature class and I could barely put it down. I found the development of the characters to be wonderful. Without a doubt I loved Amanda Beale, she was my favorite character and was definitely a spitfire. I would recommend that this book be used in intermediate grades. It is age appropriate for fifth grade and up.

I am very happy with the condition of the book I have ordered through Amazon. Maniac Magee was one of the better books I have read to my family in a while, I look forward to ordering more through Amazon.

Brenda Olson

Good selection for 10-14 year olds. Provokes discussions on orphans- prejudism-segregation and homelessness. Keeps the adolescent reader interested.

I've been passionately in love with this book since the 4th grade. I think it is one of the best children's books ever written, in the many themes it explores.

Heck, you have to give the author credit for writing such an ordinary story in a style usually reserved for legends. For that's what this becomes, an urban legend, a tall tale, of a boy who is simply an ordinary boy. It's real and touching even as it goes over the line to the roll-your-eyes fantastic.

Even as Maniac Magee impresses the locals with his small-time wonders, he is a very real boy with very real emotions. No character in this book is made flat, and everyone is shown in multiple lights.

And yet it still manages to have simple, poignant riding that is easily understood, even if the themes are a little more complex.

One of the greatest books Spinelli has written or will ever write.

Jeffery Magee is a twelve-year-old kid who's parents died in the famous P&W trolley crash. His aunt and Uncle can't agree on anything, not even Jeffery. When they come to the school choir concert they sit on opposite sides of the bleachers, at the end of the song Jeffery is screaming for them to talk. Then he starts running, away from school, away from his aunt and uncle, away from Holidaysburg. Into Two Mills.
Upon arriving in Two Mills Jeffery gets himself into the furious fight between blacks and whites. When he starts living with a family of blacks, the Beales, he finds himself in for alot of trouble, especially from Mars Bars Thompson. Eventually Jeffery, now Maniac Magee, ralizes the trouble he has caused and runs to East end, the white side of town. There he starts living with the Mcnabs, but soon sees that he's only causing trouble there too. In the end Maniac is living in a buffalo pen at the zoo when Amanda Beale and Mars Bars Thompson convince Maniac to live with them in West end, because they don't care if he's white, he is their friend.
Pg 182:
"Let's go."
"Where?"
"Home."
"Who's?"
"Mine. Yours. Ours. Come on, I'm sleepy"...
He knew that finally, truly, at long last, someone was calling him home.
I think this best examplifies the authors purpose in writing this book by saying that if you keep trying and don't give up you will be acceptted no matter what. Also that no matter how the world looks there is always someone who cares about you.
I think that this book is a great contribution to society. It teaches us that growing up can be hard, but there is always something good waiting for you on the other side. Also, it helps us understand that if we preservere we will always make it.
We will make it through life, good or bad, depending on our choices and I think that this book is a great example of that. overall this is a book that anyone who has questions about growing up should read.