E Books

This is definately a winner! Great little gems from Walt Disney's family, closest friends and colleagues. The pictures are equally wonderful. Great candid shots and personal family photos. This man had more character than Mickey Mouse himself!

The pictures were nice. I'm a big Dinsey fan so I pretty much enjoyed this book. It told what people who worked with him thought about him. I gave the book four stars because there were some bad words.

This lavishly illustrated tribute --- first published in 1999 and now released as an oversized trade paperback --- is a must for diehard Disneyites. (Dig the vintage, time-worn color
cover photo of Uncle Walt, with Cousin Oscar clearly in view.) Amy Boothe Green and Howard Green's text is nothing more than quote after quote from Walt's pals, peers, co-stars, family and friends, all of whom (surprise!) praise The Man Who Would Be King. But it's the vast array of black-and-white and color photographs --- many rare and many never-before-seen, all of which are stuffed into the pages --- that make this a winner. Walt as a young boy. Walt as a young man. Walt at play. Walt at work. Walt with family. Walt with friends. Walt with Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. Walt with Hayley Mills. Walt with Shirley Temple. Walt with Annette Funicello, who provides the book's most poignant quote: "When I was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis ... I thought,. "If Mr. Disney were here, I could ask him what I should do. He would know." And, of course, Walt with the Mouse and the Mouseketeers. Noting goofy here. Except Goofy.

I was very happy while reading this book. I found all the things Walt's aquaintances had to say about him very interesting and credible. Very little seemed sugar coated (as Disney personel seem to be sometimes). I would make the assumption that Walt's personality was portrayed correctly by the many people that knew him. Throughout the course of reading this book I kept thinking about the quote that one amazon reviewer said that made me buy this book in the first place, "makes me wish I knew that man."

This book is exactly as one would expect by reading the title. It's just quote after quote from people who knew Walt Disney best. I liked that many of his former employees were interviewed. Since I was familiar with some of the animators, imagineers, and actors it made it a more personal thing for me when reading this book. There are also many pictures that show Walt during all the different periods of his life, though the majority of them are during his successful years heading the Disney corporation. I share the sympathy of another reviewer who said that after reading this book they wished they had known Walt Disney. I think a person who really admires the Disney empire will share the same sentiments about the man who dared to dream.

Arthur Hughes is a database guru. This books teaches you how to start and develop a customer database and how to use is it as your most powerful marketing tool. The author is world-renowned and has created concepts such as "lifetime value" which is essential to any business owner. This book is the database marketing bible.

I love this book. Working as a data analyst in the CRM department, this book teaches me all the practical caculation/ideas for my work.

So far, this is the only book on the market that view database marketing from a quantitative point of view. On the other hand, it also instills the relationship marketing mind-set to the readers. For the rest of books avaliable in the markertplace on CRM/Database marketing, either it's too theoretical or IT. This is the best I read so far.

My approach to marketing was totally changed by reading this book; I was able to refine a jumble of thoughts into a clear, cohesive strategy. If you are at all exposed to marketing at work, Hughes will give you the ability to prioritize what is most important in your job.

Hughes has just released a new edition of this classic. It is thoroughly updated to include developments of the last half decade (the failure of CRM in many applications, advancements in Web and e-mail marketing, etc). Every marketer and entrepreneur should read this book to learn how and why lifetime value is so important and how to build your company's strategy around it.

The best thing about this book is that it covers the technical details adequately, but is still readable enough that you do not need an MBA to understand it.

For anyone who's looking for a well-written reflection on state-of-the-art direct marketing, this is not the right book. Yet, Arthur Hughes' 'Strategic Database Marketing' still has its merits.

It's a straight-forward introductory text that covers many aspects of direct marketing - mostly from an old-economy point of view. The good thing about this approach is that Hughes explains many procedures in detail that have proved to be useful over many years of practice (as he lets the reader know on many occasions, he has worked in direct marketing for a long time). And while the dull writing-style occasionally makes the content of the book seem dated, most of the ideas discussed in the book still apply. For example, Hughes does a good job explaining lifetime-value calculations, the Recency-Frequency-Monetary approach, regression analysis and other useful tools for anyone involved in direct marketing.

Unfortunately, it's not an enjoyable book. The biggest drawback is that Hughes doesn't come across as an agile intellect. He's good at explaining procedure, but rather clumsy in discussing ideas. Adding to that is his over-reliance on examples taken from his own private life (you'll learn many things about his wife that you never wanted to know) and his strange need to praise the superiority of the American economy whenever possible. If you can look past that, 'Strategic Database Marketing' may well be worth reading for any professional marketeer.

Hughes makes it exceedingly clear why customer loyalty and lifetime value are such critical marketing concepts. Hughes helps marketers understand why our hyper-focus on customer acquisition needs to be adjusted to consider retention and upsell as well.

In particular, Hughes explains:

* What Lifetime Value (LTV) is, why it matters, and how to calculate it
* The importance of testing programs and how best to go about it
* Segmenting your customer base by loyalty and LTV
* How tactics should differ for each segment
* Practical tips for creating a successful database marketing campaign.

Case studies and ROI numbers are used throughout the book. A must read for marketing proessionals.

Masterfully written! The descriptiion and detail put into this book is astounding. Crafted with pure genious I personaly recomend this book to fantays lovers of all ages!

Diana Metz has created a world in which dragons and people share our world. She has a gift for description - if I close my eyes I can imagine I am there among the dragons or soaring above the clouds on the back of one of these magnificent beasts! A wonderful book for any age!

After recieving this book, which was HIGHLY anticipated, i must say that I was not dissapointed in ANY way! Being a fan of both dragons and fantasy, I am particularly had to please with literature, but this book surpassed all my expectations!!! I'm now anxiously waiting for the next installment of Talon, and I must say, a big, "WELL DONE DIANA"!!!

I loved this book! Diana Metz finds a great new approach to a dragon fantasy! The words weren't neccesarily as fullfing as the plot was, but it was still great! I recently e-mailed the author and found that there was to be another book! And another after that! I can't wait. You're great Diana!

"I don't know who I am anymore" Talon sighed heavily. "A year ago I knew who I was, a young mercenary with a knack for battle tactics. I trained hard, fought where I was told and planned the deaths of hundreds of young men just like me. That's who I was. Now I'm what you, an old man, and now a dragon queen, say I am. I don't know if I like what you've made me." (pg 154)

When I first read this book (I've read it three times now) I found that I could not put it down. The story is amazing. A young boy named Talon once a warrior, now a wizard, forever the Krrig Daa. He goes through many ups and downs, physically and mentally, and through the incredible writings of Diana Metz you go with him. Her portrayal of Dragons as not only intelligent but incredibly social beast full of magic is one of the reasons I couldn't put this book down.

Thank you Diana for such a great book.

I was looking for a book that would help me navigate the shoals of selling on eBay, but only for a few dozen personal items per year at most.
This book is for someone who plans to open an eBay business and make all or most of their living off it (buying wholesale in large quantities, drop-shipping, etc).
I'm sure it would be very good for such a person, but for me, I need to look for another, simpler book. However, this book seems very comprehensive for someone opening a large eBay business, so I think 4 stars is fair.

I'm not even halfway through this book and already I'm blown away with how much information there is. Skip doesn't hold back at all; this book is for serious people who want to be successful sellers.

Well written comprehensive guide to getting started on E-bay. You do have to actually put the effort and creativity into any business to make it work. But, if you follow the outline of this book you will have a better chance of making it work. This book also contained unique information by the author. It dovetailed with the other books I bought by the same author.

Was getting started on ebay and looking for some guidance. This book combined with ebay's on-line tutorial is loaded with enough information to get a new ebay seller headed in the right direction. Would recommend to anyone contemplating selling on ebay.

Skip Mc Grath takes you step by step from a beginner, to a seller in a very short time if you read and put into practise his instructions.
He also tells you what to sell on eBay giving you a lot of ideas where to find what is easy to sell and how to promote it.
I would recommend this and other books published by this author to anyone who wants to make money on eBay, because he really know what he is talking about. And for my understanding he is a born teacher because he has the pacience to explain in detail what to do and how to do it.

While the read was enjoyable and well paced, I'm confused as to the abundance of 5-star ratings for this book. I felt the plot and identity of the Falcon was far too easy to pick out from very early on. Had I been younger and less apt to figure it out, I might have enjoyed it better. I give it a four-star rating though because Stefano was pure deliciousness. I do agree that this book would be excellent as a movie, and will nurse an unlikely hope that a talented filmaker will take it up as his next project.

This book is fantastic. I bought it about a year ago, and I have read it a million times. I loved the mystery behind the "falcon", and the touch of romance all around. The characters are fascinating and keep you hooked. READ THIS BOOK! YOU WILL LOVE IT!

Oh yesss! Dreams of handsome, heroic, brave, strong, romantic, dashing, yummy, etc. etc. guys! I think I'd better reread it right now; maybe I'll get some more nice dreams. Ladies, you need this book even if you have to put up with a cruddy used copy from Amazon resales. (I'll bet someone's stolen the copy from your local library!)

I have collected and read many of Barbara Michaels' Books and this one is My favorite. Set during the Italian Revolution, it gives you a different perspective of Italian History, through English eyes. It was very well written, so much so, that you feel as if the excitement in the book, is very real!! The main characters are intelligent, witty, and daring. You cheer for them throughout the book. I wish this were made into a movie, so visual people, like myself, could indulge in it further. Whether you're a closet romantic, history student, or mystery buff --- you'll want to read it twice....like I did!!!

This historical romance by 'Barbara Michaels' aka Elizabeth Peters, is set during the Italian Risorgimento of the mid nineteenth century. Francesca Fairbourn is the daughter of an impoverished English father and an aristocratic Italian mother. Her parents had eloped to England in a most romantic fashion, causing her to be disowned by her family. In true romance fashion the young woman died in childbirth leaving Francesca to be raised by her most impractical father. Shortly after leaving school at 18 Francesca's father dies leaving her totally alone in the world. At that dire moment a dashing young man comes to rescue her from a 'fate worst than death'. He turns out to be her half-cousin and has come to take her back to the family home in Italy. Once there Francesca finds herself embroiled in the Italian revolution, surrounded by anarchists, mercenary soldiers, spies, traitors and dashing romantic hero.

The novel has all the standard cliches of historical fiction and could have easily been just one of the numerous trashy examples of the genre well deserving the title of 'bodice ripper', but for the skillful hand of Michaels. The characters transcend the usual two dimensional character found in romances, the twists and turns of the plot are clever even though the reader will quite possibly solve at least some of the mysteries before the last few pages. The historical background is well researched and presented in an entertaining manner. It is, however, lacking the wry humor found in other works by this author (the Amelia Peabody and Vicky Bliss series).

For even an occasional reader of this type of fiction this one is a great find.

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

The Ballad of Blue Eagle is a charming book that tells the story of a blue eagle that protects the animal friends who live in Peaceful Valley. It is a rhyming book that pulls the reader into the story and teaches children the fun of learning how to rhyme words and tell a story.
The book is beautifully illustrated throughout and allows the reader to see the friendship between the animals and helps them become involved in the story. It shows community, friendship, and how to work together to help each other when danger is near.
The Ballad of Blue Eagle is a winner of the prestigious 'Mom's Choice Award' from "The Just For Mom's Foundation." This is a story that was passed from a father to his son. Then his son, in turn, illustrated the tale.
Steven E. Jones has graciously shared a favorite family story with children that will be a keeper on many shelves to be read and shared often through the years.

Sometimes we don't always see the clear reason for our
actions right way. Steven Jones had listened to many a tale
from his Father. He put this one into poetic form after his
Father's passing. But then it sat and patiently waited for the
next generation to play it's part. And when Steven Jr. asked to
illustrate the story it had come full circle.

This is not so very different from what happens in this
tale. Days pass easily in Peaceful Valley, but then an event
occurs that shakes up the residents and new respect is
given to two average members of the group. Meanwhile,
flying over head, having shown up just when he was needed
was Blue Eagle, the spiritual version of Jones's Father.

With a catchy tune to finish things up and wonderfully colorful
illustrations capturing all the expressions the members of
Peaceful Valley go thru during this story we should all be ready,
when we finish reading, for a romp in the nearest meadow.
Even if that meadow's only in our dreams!

I read this book to my 4 year old grandson (going on 6!)and his little 3 year old friend. I honestly believe I had as much enjoyment reading it to them as they did by listening and following along page by page. Here they are sitting on the edge of their little chairs, studying the pictures, occasionally pointing to the beautifully illustrated critters and repeating their names. They listened intently and got very excited when an incident occurred in the Peaceful Valley which the author uses to teach a powerful lesson! Excellent book not only for the classroom but in the home as well.

The animals of Peaceful Valley live a happy life filled with enjoyable games with all of their friends. One beautiful day, Blue Eagle, Arny, Pete, Timber, Toby and the rest of the gang start playing a fun game of Sneak and Peek, rather like the human game of Hide and Seek. Unfortunately, their game is suddenly disturbed by Clugar, a cougar wanting to cause trouble and maybe have one or two of Peaceful Valley's friends as a meal. Blue Eagle, as the protector of all of the animals in Peaceful Valley, decides to teach Clugar a lesson.

The Ballad of Blue Eagle is the first of a series of books about Blue Eagle and his friends. The inhabitants of Peaceful Valley are so very loveable and cuddly. Readers will quickly pick a favourite character while gaining an appreciation for nature. The rhythmic sing-song nature of this story makes it a really fun book to read aloud. This aspect also makes the story easier to read or to mimic for new readers and pre-readers.

Besides the scriptures, this is one of the most valuable books out there. It's a true gem and a masterpiece. Stephen Robinson did an excellent job explaining the beauty and the simplicity of the Atonement of Christ. It's something I should have gleaned from the scriptures myself, but admittedly there is much I did not understand (or at least wasn't able to articulate very well) before reading this book.

What makes the book so powerful is that Robinson explains it on layman's, that is my terms. He starts out discussing the consequences of sin and mortality and then discusses grace, faith and works. Then he sheds more light on the Atonement and what Christ did, how and why. And most importantly, Robinson does and excellent job articulating what it all means for you and I and how we can take advantage of these great mercies and gifts offered to us by our loving Heavenly Father.

I re-read this book quite often and take it with me on business. I have given away a number of copies of this book to friends and strangers on the plane. This is one of those book that is truly life changing and I would recommend to anyone without hesitation.

I don't normally read LDS literature not written by a general authority of the church, but this is quite the exception. I enjoyed this author's speaches at both Ricks College and BYU- Provo. If you ever felt overwhelmed or inferior in the Gospel, please take a few hours and read this book. It will change your perspective.

Though the author cites Mormon scripture as well as the Bible, don't let that put you off. If he had only cited Old and New Testament scriptures, the result would be the same: a wonderful explanation of Christ's Grace and where works comes into the picture, repentance, and how Jesus infinite atonement brings us back to Him. Justice and mercy are compared beautifully, and the Love of Christ comes through like a sun bursting over the horizon.

I recommend this book for anyone who is struggling with issues of their own unworthiness and the possibility of redemption. A brilliant and thoughtful book.

I'm a recent convert and an avid reader of books. So I don't say "This is the best book I've ever read" very often. I read 4 books in the month before I converted (wanted to make sure this was the right decision). This one was recommended by a friend at church and it has changed my life.

This book introduced me to the real Jesus Christ. I've heard about him my entire life. I've met people who love him beyond measure. I've met people who don't believe he ever existed. But I had never met anyone who could explain to me who he really was. I never really understood what he did, what he continues to do, what I should think of him or how he is supposed to fit into my life. If you truely seek to know Jesus Christ, READ THIS BOOK!

This book will explain how to get rid of the baggage you carry around with you that keeps you depressed and feeling like a failure. It will change your mind and your heart and fill it with hope. Don't give up on life until you've read it. It's one of the most influential books you will ever read.

This book was very entertaining. I was able to identify with the characters. I have a friend or family member that could easily have been one of the characters. He really brought the characters to life. In the future, I would love to see him bring one or two characters back.

Curtis did an outstanding job bringing this book and all of its characters to life!! "Black Jack" has so many twists and turns, it'll keep you on the edge of your seat!! I found it easy to read, very captivating, and difficult to put down once you've start reading it. I can't wait for the sequel, and would definitely like to someday see it as a movie. Great job Mr. Rayford!!

This story appeared to get off to a slow start but the author managed to hook me by describing the town setting so clearly that I began to feel as if I could personally relate to this town and it's set of problems. Once drawn into the plot and to the characters, I found myself determined to know the outcome and unable to set the book down. I felt as though I was right alongside of these strong black women in their struggle to bring about positive changes within their distressed community. Throughtout the story, these everyday women are up against very powerful and corrupt leaders; they don't have much to lose but can they and will they come out on top? Mr. Rayford also does a great job by writing such a powerful ending which catches you by complete surprise. I hope to read about these ladies taking on additional challenges and social issues in the future, so hopefully this isn't the last time we'll read about them. It has the potential to become a wonderful series.

THANK YOU C.E. RAYFORD for an enjoyable story!

I couldn't put this book down! Mr. Rayford has a very inviting way of telling a story. Within a few pages I was drawn into the adventure of this creative plot. It was easy to grasp the full personality of the characters and marvel at the intriguing way they played out their parts in this great story. This was a great read!

I REALLY THINK THAT BLACK JACK IS A GOOD BOOK FROM BEGINNING TO END. I THINK EVERY HOUEHOLD SHOULD HAVE A COPY.

The other reviews all capture the essence of Herter's cookbook. Laced with an ample portion of Herter's blustery wit, it's an enjoyable read, full of nuggets of subjective wisdom of the ages. I grew up having Herter's Professional Guides Manual and How to get out of the rat race, etc around the house and at an early age found my BS detector working well. My Dad gave How to get out of the rat race to his Dad, who was raised in turn-of-the-century Texas, and inscribed it: "Having actually done this, I thought you'd like to know how you SHOULD have done it!". True classics, which I've recently found and purchaed at [...].

I'm amazed this book is still in print! I found this book in a used book store in New Orleans and thought it was a bizarre regional oddity from up north - what a great read, especially if you're a big foodie.

First of all, be advised: You will never get this (or any out of print book) from Amazon. Go to [Marketplace] instead. My copy - in very nice condition, for only $...- arrived earlier this week.

I've been aware of this book for some years now, and it's a scream. From the Virgin Mary's favorite dish; to Church Chicken, and beyond (the Church Chicken, by the way, "has done more good, I believe, than any other recipe in the world.").

As an enthusiastic cook, there is quite an array of interesting recipes that I'm sure I'll get around to trying. But the recipes are really secondary to Herter The Blowhard waxing rhapsodic on everything from the "fine Italian people" in Minneapolis & St. Paul; to the impact a nuclear war would have on the availability of soap.

I was just thumbing through my recently-arrived copy, and came across this gem, from Herter's mayonnaise recipe (and I swear I'm NOT making it up!): "Using this famous recipe, mayonnaise is very easy to make and you will never have a failure with one exception. If you are a woman do not attempt to make mayonnaise during menstruating time as the mayonnaise will simply not blend together at all well. This is not superstition but a well established fact well known to all women cooks."

Go ye, and read of it.

Due to it's unique layout, this book is not the sort that needs to be read in front to back order. It's basically a random hodgepodge of rough recipes (some real, some bogus, and plenty that blur the line) sorted into alphabetical order - you can jump around and read at random, which is exactly what I've been doing. There's no introduction, nor even any information about the author - it's just a crazy quilt grab-bag of humorous pseudo-recipes and screeds about food philosophy ... new outrageous assertions, inside jokes, and so-called `facts' are always lurking just around the next paragraph (the kind of jokes best appreciated by history and food buffs).

As is the case with the best lies having a healthy dose of the truth mixed in (to lend weight and believability), the author intersperses some real history into the massive quantities of horse hooey he shovels into the reader's lap ... seasoning it generously with humor, purple prose, and two-fisted food philosophy - all with a healthy undercurrent of the author sounding like an overeducated backwater hick running a roadside stand and hawking his "world's finest" recipes and opinions to all within earshot. It's a heady mix.

Just to give you an idea what to expect, here's a BS-laden Herter-esque recipe, that I just now improvised, to demonstrate the author's writing style:

------------
Mary Queen of Scots Head Cheese

Mary Stuart, queen of Scots, was born on 8 December 1542 at Linlithgow Palace in Scotland. As the Scots of that time were wont to do, Mary's parents packed her off to France when she was only six years old, to marry Francis II (a notorious pedophile who conveniently happened to be next in line for the throne of France), in return for Frances's return aid in helping the Scottish rid themselves of the pesky English.

Utterly bored with vapid court life, and disgusted by the doting affections of her pedophile husband, Mary sought comfort and distraction by immersing herself in the royal kitchens, where she spent 10 years of her life honing her increasingly prodigious culinary skills. In particular, she developed a special love of pork, and pork products - all of which are fine eating, and which laid the early groundwork for the modern American BBQ that we know and love today.

Suddenly, Mary's philandering French hubbie became king, and then 2 years later died under mysterious circumstances. Whispers around court claimed that Mary had grown tired, at long last, of her husband's gropings, and got her revenge by feeding him a tainted strew of pork cassoulet (in which she substituted pork pizzle for sausage), laced with poison. He ate it all, smacked his lips, patted his stomach, took a brief post-degustation nap, and woke up in hell, with Satan grinning and jiggling the unpaid tab.

Unfortunately, with the death of her husband, a political coup forced her to rethink her dreams of ruling France, and return instead to Scotland, where she soon met and married her second husband, Lord Henry Darnley, who was historically noteworthy for being hugely endowed and with an capacity for wine, women and song that beggared the imagination.

Unhappy with her new husband's drinking and womanizing, not to mention disgusted with her household chef (who every day served the same thing: porridge for breakfast, fried mars bars for lunch, and haggis with nips & taddies for dinner, and all the weak tea and skunky 70 shilling ale she could quaff) she one again returned to the kitchen for escape and distraction, and eventually developed the recipe that later made her famous: Mary Queen of Scots Head Cheese ... one of the most glorious and finest eating dishes ever known to humanity. I make it myself at least once a month, during hog season. Simply wonderful.

Now then. Fame of her culinary talents spread, and eventually made their way to the court of King Henry VIII, a notorious glutton who (like Mary) loved pork, and who also happened to be desperately in need of a male heir, and under considerable pressure to produce same. Hearing of her culinary prowess, and her beauty, as well as her political status as hereditary Queen of Scotland, Henry and Mary initiated romantic correspondence, in which the two wrote at length about their love of food, thoughts on Protestantism and Catholicism, Marriage, Divorce, and whether or not pork sausage was best served dry aged, or roasted with peppers and onions. Copies of these heart-warming letters are a very popular item, and can be had from the catalog of my general store.

Eventually, Henry (at Mary's request) had her good-for-nothing second husband conveniently knifed during a tavern brawl, and he brought her to England, and with her own loving hands she made him her famous head cheese ... and for a while, things were blissful.

However, after many moons with no male heir appearing, Henry began to get restless and his eye began to roam. Mary caught him one day with a serving girl, and administered a vicious two-handed beating to both of them with an undercooked turkey leg, wielded like a gravy-soaked maul. After the gravy-splattered and disheveled King recovered, he had Mary imprisoned in the Tower of London, and eventually had her beheaded, and ordered his cooks to use her head to make her world famous recipe one last time - with truly royal results. One lip-smacking diner was overheard to proclaim "Mary ... the best head in all of England !"

MARY'S AUTHENTIC HISTORICAL RECIPE: Take 1 pig's head, freshly bled, and put it in a large pot of water. Add a few coarsely chopped onions, celery, a splash of white wine vinegar, and a small palmful of peppercorns, allspice, a cayenne pepper, 2 bay leaves, and a dash Paul Prudhomme's pork seasoning mix. Boil about 3 hours, then remove the head, let par cool, pick off all the edible meat (reserve) and return all the bones and other scraps back to the pot and boil the #@$% out of it for another 6-12 hours (adding more water as necessary to keep the bones covered) until the bones drop clean. Strain and discard all solids, and clarify the stock with egg whites and crushed chicken shells. Then reduce the liquid to one quarter it's original volume (reduce further if needed), or until thick and rich, and beginning to gel firmly when cooled. Salt to taste, and par-chill until beginning to thicken, but not quite set. Next, fill a mold with the cold flaked meat, cold diced lard, and cold diced cheese, and pour the reduced stock over it. Refrigerate over night, then slice when hard. Makes for truly fine eating. Simply wonderful in sandwiches, or eaten plain, out of hand. Children love it, because if made properly, it has a slight wiggle, and will bounce if dropped - making it not only fun, but economical if your children are klutzy and always dropping their food. No waste ! Guaranteed to be the best head you've ever had.

Remember Cliff, the postman in "Cheers"? You know, the John Ratzenberger character who was the know-it-all barfly who, even if he DID know something about a subject, managed to mangle it into unwittingly hilarious non-sequiturs?

Cross that character with an travel & food writer of great enthusiasm and woefully limited skills, and you might end up with something like this.

Part cookbook, part very dubious history, part polemic and 100% personal. It is refreshingly blunt and opinionated, even if his opinions are howlingly off base sometimes. Look at it this way, to use another TV analogy: which would be more interesting, a beer with Archie Bunker or a sherry with Felix Unger? This book is definitely not the latter.

I gotta confess I have a soft spot for Herter. I was born in 1951, and during my formative preadolescent years one of the finest pieces of literature I consumed ravenously was the Herter's sporting goods catalog. GL Herter wrote the same purple prose and with the same hyperbolic certitude whether the subject was Oysters Rockefeller or fly-tying supplies or worm bedding. Nothing was ever simple: it was always "World Famous Herter's Snelled Hooks" or whatever. Even as a kid I recognized this as over the top, before I even knew what 'over the top' meant.

Highly recommended. A terrifically crazy read. Where is the justice in a world which lets this go out of print while Danielle Steele continues to cause thousands of trees to be killed???

These books are all so great and wish someone in the world would make a movie of these books as they are so good for families.

If you haven't read all of Philip Gulley's books then you have missed out on true humor and a visit with people you have "known all your lives"
wonderful fall down clean laughing as well as touching moments.

Like all of Philip Gulley's books, this one takes us to Harmony and the people who live in that small town. His characatures of the Friendly Meeting House people are not only humorous, but there are lessons to be learned as we see ourselves in some of them from time to time. We're delighted that Deena and Dr. Pierce are married, even though Dale Henshaw manages to draw that ceremony to a dramatic climax! Dale will never change, even in such a dramatic occurance as a heart transplant. Fun reading with an added life lesson to be learned every now and then.

Anyone who has stumbled across the writings of Philip Gulley will want to get the next installment in the lives of Harmony. As a person reads these books, he or she forgets that these are all fictional characterizations and a person cannot wait to hear the crazyness continue. A must-read for anyone who wants to have some light-hearted moments!

Sam Gardner and his delightfully dysfunctional Quaker congregation are back again as this series just seems to get better and better. There are lots of humorous moments with special Harmony events such as the Blessing of the Noodles, the Corn and Sausage Days Festival, and the Progressive Nativity Scene. There are also more serious events and a threat to the lives of two of the members of the Harmony Quaker church. There are family squabbles between Ellis and Ralph Hodge and bumpy places in the new marriage of Dr. Pierce and Deena. Again Philip Gulley makes us laugh, makes us cry, and makes us think which is a surefire recipe for a good read.