Combs Books

This is a collection of Tod Wilbur's recipes. If you already own any of his cookbooks you may not need to purchase this one. It has recipes from previously published books written by him and only a few new ones. I love the fact that it is a hardcover book - I would have like that for all of his cookbooks because I am looking at them and using them a lot!

Wonderful Cookbook, Excellent 'Top Secret Receipes'We've tried 6 different ones so far. each one tasts just like the Original from the Restautant!
I love the Binding on this Book, it lies FLAT without having to hold if down. Good Luck on finding this Book at a Good Price, but well worth the Search.....
Highly Recommended!!

This book is great. It has a lot of recipies in it that look delicious and sound easy to make. It is layed out nicely and is easy to follow. I can't wait to get started!

So far, I've made chicken scallopini (a few times) and pumpkin scones, and both have been VERY close to the original. I've already tagged like 20 other recipes to definitely try soon, but hope to try all of them eventually. It is important to read the whole section for the recipe before starting -- the paragraph or two before, the ingredients, then the instructions. Tons of good restaurant-esque recipes, and lots of fun commentary. I've loved it and have only had it a month!

I won't write much since I would only echo what other reviewers have said -- John Sells has put together an excellent book. Thoroughly researched, well written, and the extensive index makes it invaluable for quick reference.

However, I'm very confused about this listing. Unante 2nd edition is available new at several other online stores new for a much lower price. There isn't any indication that this is specially signed or different in any way so I don't understand the price difference.

Sells presents a VERY detailed account of the history of, and influences upon, Okinawan martial arts from the earliest periods which are more shrouded in mystery, myth and conjecture to the 20th century interviews with Japanese and Okinawan practitioners that he has conducted.

Measuring in at over 300 pages with no added fluff, any researcher, novice or expert, will find a treasure trove of information to peruse for weeks, if not months. On top of this, much of the research is quite original, being presented in English for the first time. Having been an armchair karate historian for over a decade, and a practitioner of Shorin-ryu for about 18 years under an Okinawan, I have had access to many non-written accounts, many of which are fortunately written in Sells' book. As well, his genealogies are more or less accurate, as is quite often not the case in other resources. Finally, he includes many fine photographs that are hard to come by, adding to the value of his work.

Highly recommended! Enjoy!

A truly excellent book. Not a "how-to" manual.But instead one of those rare books that can give the karateka a look into
the past.Not a collection of retold tales or,obscure legends,
this is a compilation of true Karate history.
A veritable who's who and, who taught who, of the early days of Karate.
The only complaint I have, is that the book is rather poorly constructed. Its thick construction paper jacket is the only protection for the pages it contains. This design gives the impression of a student manual,albeit on the fairly thick side.
This really does this valuable book a disservice. But its still worth every penny that the seller is requesting.I know I should have subtracted a star for this reason, but really, this book is still worth every star Amazon has.
The insights that "Unante" gives the reader are amazing.
If your tastes were whetted by Sensei Bishops " Okinawan Karate; teachers ,styles and secrets" or,Sensei Nagamine's "Tales of Okinawa's great masters" you'll be dancing in the street over this one.
Its sections include chapter and verse on the early founding and unification of Okinawa,The infulence of Kung-fu on Te,the founding fathers of Okinawan Karate,the introduction of Karate to Japan,and its refinement in Okinawa,history and development of Kata,a catalog of Kata name meanings and, variations of the themes from system to system. The lists goes on and on.
I'm sure there are those who may attempt to be critical of the sentence structure or that the pictures/illustrations are on the grainy side( Hey, they're old...).But this would be a case of putting the cart before the horse. Its the information thats important.
And there's a lot. In some cases you'll probably know the material,
thats to be expected, but Sells puts so much in between, that its
like hearing it for almost the first time.
If your looking for answers to questions that a lot of instructors cant give, look into the " Unante", you'll come out of the experience
far richer than the cost of the book itself.

In the second edition (2000) of "Unante: The Secrets of Karate" author John Sells Offers a thoroughly interconnected mosaic of Okinawan Karate's broad history. A difficult task, Sells manages to present a detailed history of Okinawan karate as it can be ascertained from written sources in Japanese and English as well as interviews with individuals in this lengthy, heavy volume. He credits 20 years of casual and 10 years of serious research into Okinawan Karate to his benefit in this effort as historan. Sells actually attempts to provide a cohesive history of Karate in Okinawa and Japan--no mean feat considering some of the differences among the various styles. Moreover, he does a superb job of it! Although at some points some of the information is repeated, it isn't annoyingly redundant. In a work this complete it is inevitable that some information be re-emphasized when discussing related points.

In eight single-spaced chapters, Sells provides overviews as well as significal details which most individuals would spend countless hours researching considering the periodacles, Books in Japanese and English, and interviews to which the author has been exposed. Included are footnotes containing usefull information from pronouncation and style name differences, to alternate versions of legends and accounts. Between pages 206-218, Sells also offers one of the most comprehensive Karate Genealogies I've seen published yet. While the chapter names don't begn to detail the fascinating minutia included in each chapter, at least they may give you an idea:

-Chapter 1 The Early Period: An Age of Legends
-Chapter 2 The Middle Period: The Founding Fathers
-Chapter 3 The Inter-War Period: Okinawan Pioneers in Japan and Redefining an Art on Okinawa
-Chapter 4 Modern Karate: A New Generation and a New Sport
-Chapter 5 History and Developmet of Kata the Quintessential Element
-Chapter 6 The Karate-Do Mokuroku no Kata: A Kata Catalogue
-Chapter 7 Okinawan Weaponry Kobujutsu: Art Within an Art
-Chapter 8 Philosophy and Fighting, Ethical Framework and Fighting Startegy

-Appendix (Karatedo Chronology, Glossary of Terms, Insignias, Bibliography, Table of Figures)
-Index

Explained are the legends and records of the old masters such as Bushi Matsumura, Higaonna Kanryo and others in the context of Okinawan history--much of which was intertwined with that of South China as well as Japan. Karate flows from China, to Okinawa where it blends with native Okinawan combative arts, or maintains a unique character which evolves through the years...When Sells examines an individual or subject, he isn't content to simply parrot the words of other writers. He engages in a detailed and balanced dialogue and weighs a number of factors, such as the period of time, ruling forces, other cultural influences, et cetera. A number of peripheral subjects are covered on the way, such as establishment of rank in Judo, then Japanese Karate, then on to Okinawa...a fad is born. Sells covers the birth of organizations, and their perhaps inevitable schizms, the rise of styles, and various historical mileposts along the way. There is page upon page of genealogical charts covering Karate (Okinawan & Japanese), as well as Kobudo

Sells explains who each master studied with, the points they taught (kata, special technique, relevant philosophy), how various teachers were related. Sells has done an admireable job of providing history for karate men and styles which are often left off of the history pages of may other books (the previously mentioned names are but a small example). Many acounts, not much personal opinion or commentary. Sells also discusses the organizational politics of the early Okinawan Karate organization, splits, causes, and factions (193-201). An interesting observation is the level on which so many of the early teachers from the same generation were good colleagues rather than competitors. In today's atmosphere between the business maneuvering, "ownership" of students, fees and dues, and parsing out of (often questionable) information drawn out over many (often unnecessary) years, such a level of brotherhood and sharing among fellow practitioners seems unusual. One example the author provides of this brotherhood from the "old times" is the relationship described between Okinawan Karate and Kenpo teachers Shigeru Nakamura, Zenryo Shimabukuro, and Joen Nakazato, as well as their various students, including Seikichi Odo, Fuse Kise, Shi'an Toma, and Seiyu Oyata (pages 190-193). In the early days, these men shared kata, exchanged ideas, and encouraged students to learn from a variety of fresh sources. Now-a-days, many of these men compete against one another for students, some claiming to have "secrets" the others somehow missed during all those years of brotherhood, and where freedom was the tool of learning, now forbid practicing at other schools.

Now, one of my few pet peeves with this lovely labored-over tome... Sells shows a number of photos for which he lists the source as, "Sells' colection" when the grain of the print clearly shows these pictures issue forth from other sources (such as Kanei Uechi's "Okinawa Karate Do"). Would it have been so hard to list the book and page these photos were taken from? In an academic not-for-profit work, would giving proper credit really have been so difficult? Granted the source is probably in the bibliography, and this is one step closer to respected academic work than the newsstand magazines and the herds of basic books out there...maybe in the 3rd edition?

Copious photographs and drawings throughout. This is EASILY the most serious, COMPLETE and far reaching effort to document a cohesive Okinawan Martial Arts history. This is the Bible of Okinawan Martial Arts History.

This is an excellent study/resource book for piano comping!
Mantooth teaches chord shapes based on easy to remember intervallic relationships. This book has helped me more than any other!

I studied this book back in the 90's and it made an enormous difference in my confidence and creativity in comping, and I was delighted to get so many compliments along the lines of "Whoa, that's some neat voicings... where did you learn that?!"

The book is straightforward and unpretentious. Highly recommended!

Frank's book is an insightful approach to jazz voicings on the keyboard. His approach is straightforward and the book helps diagnose the best way to voice a chord for a contemporary and appropriate sound. I like this book so well that it is the primary text in the jazz keyboard class I teach.

This book explains away all the mysteries involved in quartal jazz harmony, as well as provides great insight into using triads over dominant sevenths and voice leading. Frank gets right to the heart of the matter and presents it in a straight-forward, easy to understand manner, which is the way it should be. Great for ANY instrumentalist and a great resource for jazz arrangers.

It's a great planner with folders to hold everything. The only drawback is that it should be bigger. The folders don't fit 8 1/2 x 11 paper. You have to trim the excess or fold it.

This book was extremely helpful to me when I was planning my wedding! The book is divided into POCKETS, each devoted to the major aspects of a wedding (ceremony, reception, attire, photography, florist, guest list, honeymoon, etc.). Each pocket allows you to fill in your specific information (vendor, phone numbers, quoted prices, etc.), and to store important documents and contracts right there. This makes it easy to bring the book along when you go to visit a florist, or inspect a site, and keeps everything tidy and organized and right at your fingertips. I can't believe other books that call themselves "wedding planners" don't have these features! I had a lot of fun planning my wedding, and this book made it a cinch. I highly recommend this book for the bride-to-be.

The Wedding Workbook is one of the best wedding planners I have come across. This book is fantastic and helps keep the stress under control. Each section has pockets to hold receipts, etc. Everything is at your fingertips!

This book has been wonderful for my wedding plans. Unlike many of the other wedding workbooks, this book is not cluttered with advertisements and pictures of items not applicable to your wedding. It simply organizes the major aspects of your wedding.

Each page represents a specific feature of your wedding (ceremony, flowers, etc). It provides spaces for all the contact information of the site and/or vendor, what deposits you've made, when balances are due and so on. The best part is, each page has its own pocket to keep all your receipts and contracts in.

This book does not explain traditions, or who should stand where, or anything like that. As I said, it simplifies all your plans into one little book that you can carry around and keep all the most important information with you for easy access.

This book is perfect for those who are fully involved in the planning process, and really need to pull everything together.

This book is a "must have" for anyone interested in Colloidal Silver. I have read it, and re read it . I treasured every page. It is a cornucopia of all the information one would require as a reference when using Colloidal Silver . It is the absolute "Gold" Standard.

If your looking for a book on Colloidal Silver that is not only informative but most importantly easy to understand then this is the book for you. I found this book very educational and would strongly suggest it to anyone.

I have bought the book based on a review I read from some others. I found some interesting information on the past use and development of colloidal silver. I was hoping to get more information with hard data. That seems to be the trouble with homeopathic industry that is not part in full production like pharmaceutical companies. It takes money to do testing. Fortunately, I found a source at American Biotech Labs where they are developing silver and have solid data from reputable research laboratories across the U.S. They also have patents and a book that gives reputation of silver a lift. It is not a blanket statement on all silver, but their product only.

I bought this book and found that it was a wealth of information on the subject of Colloidal Silver. It includes testimonies of actual experiences with this amazing product. It even tells the reader how to make a simple generator so that they can make Colloidal Silver for themselves. I now have the rights to reproduce this book and distribute it in Australia. I can only recommend this book as one of the best available. It does not waffle on like a lot of other books, every page is interesting.

In many ways, "Working with Words" differs little from other grammar books. It accomplishes its task very well, though. A highlight of this book has to be its organization. The book is divided into 11 chapters and 4 appendixes. All the basics are covered: sentences, phrases and clauses; the parts of speech; punctuation, etc. Other sections cover tight writing, muddled language and "sexism, racism and other '-isms.'"

But the absolute best parts of this book are the lists and appendixes. "What to Tighten A-Z" offers a quick guide to getting rid of phrases that are wordy, redundant or cliche. "Confused words" helps you decide whether to use continual or continuous, fortuitous or fortunate among many others. Sections on common mistakes and frequently misspelled words also help you avoid errors. But my favorite section has to be the one called "One word, two words or hyphenated?" It is a fabulously quick and easy reference.

This is simply the best single text on writing. It is well written and clear. It covers all the aspects of mechanics that are necessary for good writing. It also gives the necessary teaching about proper grammar. There are many good (as well as confusing) books on the market about this topic, but, for me, this is the "writing bible." I have multiple copies of this book so I can loan them out from time to time, but I also have a personal copy at home as well as at work that no one gets to "touch" except me. I recommend this text to all my students.

I first bought Working With Words in 1991 as a journalism student at University of Missouri, where the authors are profs. This book is as responsible for preparing me for my current job as section editor at a major metropolitan newspaper as was any class I ever took.

Executives, assistants, sales reps -- anyone who needs to write and speak like an intelligent human being -- should own this book.

The first thing I do when get a new copy editor is buy them a copy of Working with Words. Buy one yourself and you'll be amazed at how much you don't know.

BTN, Chicago Tribune, MU BJ '92

I haven't found a better one yet. Not that you'd want to curl up with it, or anything. The most useful part is the chapter on "-isms" by Jean Gaddy Wilson.

Imagine my suprise as a college journalism student to discover the racist term "spearchucker" was NOT considered OK for publication. Really? It said right there in the "S" section: "Do not use." And you know what? That stuck with me. I've written thousands of articles and have never used it once. But it ain't just racism that's covered. Get ready to learn how to control your inherent ageism, you durn kids. "Well-preserved," for instance, is an "offensive phrase applied to women and senior citizens; avoid." Also, "without rhythm," is a stereotype that implies whites can't dance, which angers me, a white man who can really cut a rug. On the other hand, "with rhythm" is also defined as an offensive stereotype for African-Americans, implying they are able to dance, and to dance well. This leaves me confused. Is it good or bad to have rhythm? Should we just avoid the whole topic of rhythm? I suppose so.

Other specified terms to avoid: buxom, foxy, fragile, full-figured, wetbacks, wench, white bread, wheat bread (just kidding, you can use wheat bread) trollop, tart, loose woman, hussy, wop, dago, working man, workmen's comp.

Yep, you read it right. A newspaper lede that reads, "ROME--The Wop president yesterday sacked four top cabinet officials as his government came under increasing attack for blah blah blah....." just doesn't cut it in the professional world of journalism.

Thanks to this fine book, there will no longer be any confusion about that.

(This text refers to the 1993 ed.)

Exactly what I asked for and it was in the best condition. Thanks for the immediate response and shipping.

It is very helpful it is organized very well so it is easy to find what you are looking for i would recommend and suggest that you never sell it because it will always be needed

This Book is the best writing reference book I have ever used. Just about every writing situation is explained and gives great ideas and provides alternative methods for writing.

This book is excellent for the ones who are learning the rules for writing properly in English. Also, it has exercises online so you can practice what you have learned.

THIS IS A GOOD BASIC BOOK ABOUT GARDEN CREATION AND MAINTAINENCE. IT IS WELL ILLUSTRATED AND SIMPLIFIED SO THAT ANYONE CAN USE THE ADVICE. COUPLED WITH THE HELP OF A LOCAL NURSERY YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO CREATE THE KIND OF GARDEN YOU WANT FOR YOUR ZONE AN MICROCLIMATE.

Being new at gardening, I found this book to be a wonderful reference book. It lays flat for easy reference and contains great illustrations and information for the beginner and the more experienced. Contains information on lawns, trees, flowers, and more.

I'm brand new to gardening and was feeling completely overwhelmed and intimidated until discovering this group. It is exactly what I needed to give me the confidence to get started. I recommend it highly!

For a beginner gardener as I am it was a joy to have bought this book. Very well illustrated. In fact you see so well the gardens'ideas that reading the book is just a complement to help you plant your garden. Well written and very clear. True to its title: step-by-step. I am glad I bought it and I do recommend it. It makes possible to have a dream garden in your house.

Hands-on lessons, easy to follow, useful tips and introductions to the latest features. Not a lot of unnecessary (boring!) reading, just straightforward instructions and key explanations.

Once you've mastered the basics of Dreamweaver CS3 and web design, this is a great resource for taking the next step and designing more complex sites with richer content. Easy to use, very descriptive and comprehensive.

As a web developer who codes by hand, I wanted a quick intro to Dreamweaver for a client who insisted I use the software. I had worked with Noble in the past and knew the book would be my best bet. But I was surprised at how concise and efficient this book was. It exceeded my expectations and taught me so quickly that the time saved more than compensated for the hefty price tag.

This book is very well thought out and written. Lots of good information for beginning and probably advanced singers. Lots of theory and lots of song. Definitely get the accompanying CD set.

As a novice singer in our community chorale, I was looking for a book that would review the basics (I sang in high school groups long ago) and teach me things to help me keep up with the near professionals in this group. The beginning section was an asset with lessons on breathing, sight reading, techniques for practice and many other valuable subjects. The last 2/3 of the book contains songs that have been around for years that provide opportunities for further practice. I would say this is a good book to use when wanting to review or learn the basics. It was recommended by my voice teacher.

The book had a lot of information on the importance of voice. It taught an individual how to develop and how to effectively use one's voice to it's fullest potential. It made the ability to develop one's talent much easier that what was atually thought by many people, especailly me.