Park Books

I have owned this cookbook for over 10 years and it is my favorite and most used. Well written and easy to follow, the Texas Border Cookbook demonstrates many of the classic Texas recipes including salsas, guacamole, chili (5 different variations), enchiladas and chicken fried steak. If you enjoy southwestern food this cookbook should be in your collection.

There are a lot of cookbooks out there purporting to be "Tex-Mex". Most of them are charlatans. This is the Real Deal. When I was a kid, my mom even made "Texas Trash" for when company was coming over. She would always tell me, "Just don't tell them what it's called". Of course, the company loved it, as did I. She also made just about everything else in this book. This is what I grew up on. About the only thing she wouldn't make were Tamales, they are a "PITA" to make without help, a point mentioned in this book, she would buy them pre-made. If you like or want to learn Tex-Mex, "This is the one !". Authentic Tex-Mex !

This is an outstanding cookbood and easy to use. Every recipe I've made has turned out great and wow's my family and friends. I put it in my top three most frequently used cookbooks.

This is a great cookbook that is more New Mexican/ Border in flavor than Tex-Mex. The red enchiladas are so good. I usually make them twice a month for my family. I have made almost every recipe in this book and every one has been a winner.

One of my most used cookbooks - since I am in "the land of bland" I have to rely on this more than ever. Of special note is the grits recipe - a real winner for any brunch.

While most yaoi mangas are weak on story and are primary just for fan service and eye candy, Embracing Love feels like it's on a whole different level. Admittably, there are a few scenes that DO feel like fan service, but overall, this series keeps on track as a "love story" which evolves as a couple.

Compared to other yaoi stories, this one feels more mature. And not only because of it's more graphic nature, but because of the age, life experiences these characters have from the start, and their aging evolution of their relationship throughout the series.

This is one of the few yaoi series where when they're intimate with each other, they're TRULY making love in that scene. And has not been drawn purely for fan service/eye candy alone. In other series, getting each other to bed might be the climax and the "happy ending". But with Embracing Love, that's simply not the case. Here, you see a relationship that needs work from both partners to be a success. And how it's not totally clear which one is the uke or seme. Nor (later on in the series) does a relationship built on love have need for such labels.

As I read through the volumes, I kept seeing aspects of myself from both main characters. And at certain times I also see my husband through them as well.

I have high respect for Youka Nitta after reading this series.

This is my second favorite yaoi after Yamane's Finder series. Katou and Iwaki are rival porn stars auditioning for the same part in a more mainstream film. However, the producer decides that to earn the part, they have to have sex, with each other. Iwaki wins the part, and also Katou's heart - if he can only convince Iwaki! A fabulous romance with good character development and lots of hot, explicit sex.

Nitta draws beautifully, and the story is original. Highly recommended.

Iwaki and Katou are both porno star. But Katou is at the beginning of his career and Iwaki instead is on a turn: quit or pass on more mainstream film. To both is asked to auction for a leading role in a film about a gay relationship and they have to make love together. Iwaki gets the role but Katou's success seems not to have problems. An year after, Iwaki and Katou has the chance to work together in the television adaptation of the movie, and they start a strange relationship where Katou pushes to have a real affair where Iwaki tries to quit everything.

Embracing Love is a continuing series arrived to 6 volumes till now. It's really good. Both Iwaki and Katou are adult, not young teens, so the relationship between the two is more serious and complex than the normal yaoi. Seme and uke are not net characteritation here. Iwaki is serious and not easy to reveal his feeling. Katou is passionate and open, he brings the rein of the relationship and forces Iwaki to "accept" his presence in his life. Sex between the two is very hot and the plot is preatty realistic. Reading this yaoi I have really had the feeling to read a complete work and till 5 to 6 volumes I have still the desire to read more and I'm waiting for the six volume to arrive.

this is about two adult film actor who are rivals. they compete for a role in a movie by making love to each other. From there it only gets better. Iwaki wins the role but he doesn't like the fact that people think he is gay and that he is playing the part of the female. He invites katou over for a challange for the male part and sparks start to fly. katou makes love to him and now he's hooked. when they are caught kissing and it is in all the papers he is mortifide and trys to avoid Katou but still gets caught up in his web. At the author's house he admits only to himself that he doesn't like seeing Katou making love with anyone else. At the same time Katou admits to himself that he has feelings for Iwaki.
when they are wrapping up the end of the series Katou makes love to him for real without anyone knowing but the two of them. It is to funny. I would go on but this is just some of the highlights of the book this book just keeps geting better and better. The only problem is the dates for new vol keep changing. I just can't wait that long to buy the book it is a must read. love it, love it, love it

This is one you MUST read. By now it's been around for quite a while, and if this is your first time hearing about it, get it. A surprisingly realistic theme set behind Nitta's beautiful artwork makes for an amazing read. Don't let the description scare you. Although the story revolves around two porn stars, you'll be amazed at how Nitta is able to draw the audience away from that fact and into the true feelings of the characters. Of course, not enough can be said about the erotica in this book. It is perhaps more explicit than almost any other yaoi manga -- leaving little to the imagination. But even so, every such scene serves only to draw the readers deeper into the emotional bond between the two characters. A hint of comedy and a sprinkle of "fan service" make this a classic. So don't hesitate. Just get it. Trust me...you'll love it.

We live in a life-care community. I shall try to give this book to our health care center activities person, and to anyone I know who is having difficulties with dementia in a loved one, as well as to the active clergy of our acquaintance. The point Hill makes--requesting equal rights for the demented dying as for those who are in full possession of their mental faculties--is one that had never occurred to me before I read this book. I kept thinking (naturally) of my own mother, who for at least six months, and perhaps longer, didn't know anyone, and who seemed not to have anything at all to "get off her chest." Hill's entertaining (yes, it is) story of her wonderfully eccentric and charming parent made it clear that no matter what is happening, the person it's happening to is still somehow the same as in years past, at least enough so that it is cruel to ignore his or her need for expression. Whether there are old wounds to heal or bridges to mend is really secondary. Read this lovely essay and learn!

This is the most moving memoir I have ever read. The intimacy Sheridan Hill shares with her readers and close attention to details is breath taking. I could not put it down. Astonishing and simply beautiful.

This is a must read for the hospice community and the families they serve.

I could not put this book down, so real, taking us to that uncharted territory, the death of our mother. How do we stay present, how do we understand our relationship, how do we face death and find life?
Sheridan Hill tells her story with such detail and honesty. I am no longer afraid of death, for my parents or myself after reading this book.

Refreshing for the heart -- as eternal family values wait til the end of one's life to come to light. I want my siblings to read this. How I wish I had had time with my own mother before her passing!

I'm one of the "baby boom" generation, we who once shouted "never trust anyone over twenty-five!" And now we are in our forties, fifties, and sixties, often facing alone the crisis of the death of a parent or loved one. Our culture has ill prepared us for this passage, a society that dwells on youth and so carefully hides away death. I lost both of my parents several years back and only wish I had first read Ms. Hill's book, it would have served as a guide, and reaffirmed as well the rightness of decisions I made for the sake of my mother and father. It is not a book about death, it is a book about living and sharing to the fullest one's final journey with a parent.

I will freely admit I wept repeatedly as I read Ms. Hill's beautifully crafted tome which honors and celebrates her mother's final months. Reading it made me realize that so much of what I experienced was valid, that I was not alone in my feelings and gave me new and hopeful insights into my own life and the spiritual journey of my mother and father.

If you just read these reviews and do not buy the book, please heed her advice from this reviewer. Listen to your parents now, talk with them, share and recall all the moments, good and bad, and fight with all your passion to insure their time of passage is a time that is respectful of their dignity. Though I do hope you purchase this work even though the subject might be the last one on your mind at this moment. For someday it will occupy your life front and center and Ms. Hill is a guide you can turn to and trust.

What a awesome book my 3 year old and 5 year old were enraptured in the story! The artwork is superb the words just rolled off my tounge a great book to act out too :)

This is a good book for all ages. It's scarey and funny for kids.

This book is hilarious. The author does a great job in making this book funny for kids. You might think that it's going to be scary but t's cute. I read this book to my little brother and he loved it! My new favorite author is Barbara Park.

This story is about a boy.The bogeyman was under the boy bed whild he was reading a animal book . the bogeyman came , and The boy was scare.the bogeyman start to talk to the boy about something . The bogeyman tell story to the boy, and tell bogeyman told the boy to not leave his sock siting there because he going to chock . So the bogeyman went to the sister room.

We have gotten this book at lesst 10 times over the past year at
our local library. I finally decided we had to own it.
The story is hysterical and really eases "boogeyman" type fears in
young children. We love to read it with our own "boogeyman" voice
(A heavy new york accent!). This is a stroy both parents
and kids will love. Barbara Park is the author and she is
also the author of the similarly hysterical Junie B. Jones series.
Highly recommended!

I love this book!

It's not just one story, but it's many different stories of all the people who decide to ride (or not ride) the roller coaster. The text is simple and fun to read out loud and aptly captures the liveliness of riding a roller coaster. The illustrations are masterful, rich with details and wonderfully expressive characters, but never overly crowded. Each viewing of this book will reward the reader with new surprises and new storylines.

Like the young protagonist in the story, I can't wait to ride this one again!

My 4 year old grandson loves roller coasters so I bought this book for him. Each night I read this book over and over - he never gets tired of it, it's his favorite book. We pretend he is on the roller coaster and I trace his finger over the loops, we start where the people get on and go up the hill very slow and then swoosh down and around, the upside down part is his favorite. This is a fun book with great illustrations.

My first graders loved this book! The details in the illustrations kept them captivated. We felt like we were really on a roller coaster ride! My kids wanted to read it over and over again.

I use this book to teach 3rd graders about force and motion. The students love the book--after I read it, they build their own roller coasters using foam pipe insulation and marbles.

I read this story to a kindergarten class who really enjoyed it. One little boy listened with his two arms up "roller coaster" style imitating the twists and turns and "Wheeeees" throughout the book. A lively discussion occurred about whether the little girl should go on the coaster for a second ride. The writer/illustrator captures the intensity of feelings that we've all experienced on a roller coaster.

This is a great book for anyone who is interested in roller coasters. It includes history of roller coasters, wooden roller coasters, steel roller coasters, and extreme machienes. It also has great pictures. Take my advice, this book is great!

Roller Coaster is colorful and informative history of roller coasters by Robert Coker covers early models in an introductory chapter than focuses on the heart of the topic: innovations in roller coaster models and modern coaster innovations. The colorful coverage provides a solid, appealing leisure read which should attract a wide audience of those young at heart.

This book is basically another in a long line of coaster thrill books designed to prolong the excitement of riding these amusement park behemoths. This latest book is tastefully done and includes the requisite history with lots of familiar and some rediscovered photos and prints of old timers. A few of the newer beasts are included with enticing views of riders being turned in spine tingling directions. Coker's text is well written. This book has enough new stuff to warrant it's inclusion in your coaster book library.

This book is great.It tells really well about the rollercoaster itself and great pictures.(TWO THUMBS UP)

When was the last time you had so much fun screaming? Probably last time you were on a roller coaster, your hair tingling, your eyeballs popping, and your stomach churning. Robert Coker, a talented journalist, has been everywhere you've been and more, and he describes the different rides he's been on, whether wooden or steel, coaster or twister, with a different appropriate writing style that will make you feel you're in the same box, hurtling hundreds of feet downwards after a longslow climb.

Maybe the best part is Coker's sneak preview of coming attractions, rides they're building out there that we may not get to stand on line for just yet. But, a boy can dream, can't he?

This book can be best described as a "look into the depths and crevices of the soul of a black man". Mr. Parks, although still young in this game called life, has captured through his experiences, the essence of his mind's eye. With each word....with each phrase....with each line.....I get a front row seat to his soul.

I look forward to the next masterpiece.

This book was very well thought out and was creative. Although harsh at times, it kind of brings a certain reality into perspective. I beleive that many of us live two or more lives, a professional life of today in 2001, and another life at home that has been passed to you from generation to generation. Mr. Parks put both lives together in fine print for all to see, like it or not. That's the beuty and the brutality of it. He kind of made me feel like there were hidden messages between the words that either you saw or you didn't but either way the overall outcome was what you wanted it to be. The effect this book had on me was more than just the pleasure of reading a different reality on life, but it served me as a motivator to get me to express myself somehow. It was very motivating and entertaining. It shows a true freedom of expression to it. I like how he left everything up to the reader to interpret, giving anyone and everyone a different understanding of what Mr. Parks was trying to say. This is definately one of those books that you could read over and over and truly get something different out of it everytime you read it. Motivation or simply entertainment, even a lesson or two, this book is capable of touching a wide arena of readers.

Time-that is what's captured in Richard A. Parks' work. He takes you through several periods of his own life, and each page you turn reveals a different layer. Park's book allows you to see the warm, funny, angry, compassionate sides of a man. It even allows you to see vulnerability, which increases the impact of this man's words. His outspoken essays are thought provoking, and so are each of his poetic tributes on life, love, loss, and strength. You get to grow with him as you experience his life through his words, and it is a compilation of work that everyone can truly vibe with, no matter your age. This writer's talents are unlimited, and people will be able to read his work throughout time. He has definitely left his mark in the best way---through his words.

Poet Richard A. Parks, Jr. pens poetry which swings the closet door of his personal experiences wide open. Exposed are some of the storms he survived, loves he lost and lessons he learned along his path to manhood.

Someone Is Sleeping In My Head is definitely for those who believe that our brothers don't know how to communicate effectively. Richard A. Parks, Jr. disproves this theory as he invites readers into his head, his heart and his soul with his brilliantly expressed poetry.

I saw an ad for this book at a web site called Mental Satin that my wife told me about and this book was featured there. I saw the title and the artwork on the cover and i figured this was just a bit too deep for my taste. But i was pleasantly surprised. This is a funny book. Parks has his moments of deepness and the reality of his experiences stand on thier own but this young brotha made me laugh at things i never felt were humorous. His essays, "Blockbuster versus Bankbuster" and "Where Are All The Single Black Women?" had me in tears. I enjoy books that break things down to levels where we all can understand. Mr. Parks did that for me and i thank him for that. Well done sir....well done.

I bought this book for my three year old because we were both captivated by its pictures and its fanciful rhymes. It is visually arresting, with allusions to japenese art, and Northern Renaissance art, and more that I'm sure I'm not catching on to. It is a little dark (skeletons, some creepy looking critters), but don't underestimate what children can process. Still, my son actually got upset that he cannot ride these rides; they do look fun (far from the Dumbo Ride, probably could not get insured). No, it is not what you want for teaching the alphabet, or counting but it is unique and gives children something a little less ordinary. We have had this book for a year now and he still goes and pulls it out of his bookcase for us to read to him at least once a week.

We got this book as a gift and the art work is amazing. My husband and I have gone through to find the hidden numbers and ducks. Our 15 month old enjoys the poems (but likes to rip pages, so we are keeping him away!)

There really isn't a parallel in children's literature - it's definitely unique

I read this book at Barnes & Noble one weekend night to my son. It's a weekend thing we do along with my friend and her daughter. I fell in love with this book, and I'm not sure either if I'm buying it for my son (9 months) or myself. I went back to Barnes & Nobles to purchase it and the arthur had requested the books back from what I was told because none of the copies had sold. I was shocked! It does cost more at B&N but I may just pay the few extra dollars because the book is so amazing. I love the artwork!! I have also read/looked through Floatsom-another book with great pictures!! EXCELLENT!!

TICKETS TO RIDE comes from first time author Mark Rogalski and offers a fine survey of a menagerie of attractions. Twenty-six rides, listed alphabetically, range from Alligators in Air to a Zebra Zeppelin in a rollicking A-Z book especially powerful for its fantasy art. The unique art pairs with rhymes for maximum impact. TICKETS TO RIDE is an especially recommended addition to school and community library fiction collections for young readers!

I am an adult collector of childrens books, this one is a treasure. It's like nothing that you have ever seen. Amazing artwork, a pleasure to look at, I'm debating whether to purchase an additional copy in order to frame some of the pictures. BUY THIS BOOK, You & your kids will both love it.

Park does a skilful job of minimising the amount of maths that a newcomer to Maya needs. Or, perhaps, it is Maya that does that. Anyhow, traditional texts on graphics (think Foley and van Dam) are replete with maths. Usually matrix algebra. But also for the physics of ray tracing etc. What this book demonstrates is showing how to use Maya for many 3D graphics tasks, often without having to explicitly deal with the underlying maths. Like manipulating NURBs or single or multiple light sources. Or dealing with shading issues.

As is common nowadays in graphics texts, there are several colour plates, with cartoon characters made with Maya. Impressive functionality.

A clear and concise exercise to understanding basic animation. As anyone who has ever used Maya can tell you, it's a HUGE program and can be overwhelming in its complexity. So many instructional books throw as much functionality of the program at you as possible, and as a result you end up walking away with only a few tricks that are often unrelated to each other in the context of seeing a project through from beginning to end. This book avoids the clutter and distractions of many of the flashier aspects of Maya and instead focuses on the information required to familiarize the reader with the basics of animation. Each chapter builds upon the knowledge acquired in the previous chapter and is reinforced by well thought out and pertinent tutorial projects.

By the end of the book you will feel ready to take on your own animation projects with confidence.

This is a great book to learn to understand and use Maya. It's well organized and makes you understand not only how to do it, but also why to do it. Recommended.

I had long wanted to begin the process of learning Maya, but was intimidated every time I opened the damned program. John Park's book allowed me to grow past that fear and build a strong foundation in understanding the program. His instructions are easy to follow and his exercises (included on an accompanying CD) provide real world experiences for learning Maya's basics. Additionally, it is a well-rounded instruction manual that teaches about many aspects of the program (instead of a few particulars). Please buy this book, so Mr. Park is encouraged to release additional manuals!

Park's book is exceptional because it has a simple, easy to follow tutorial format that has you modeling, shading, animating and rendering all in the first chapter. Each chapter builds on the last expanding the skills together as an integrated group. Maya is an awsome program that is fun work with, but its shear size can make it overwhelming for a beginner. Because of this most books either specialize in only one aspect of it, or serve as a general pictorial menu of what you can do but don't adequately tell you how. Park's book stays at just the right level so you feel excited rather than overwhelmed, and by the end you have developed a working knowledge of all the major menu sets, and you have completed a rather sophisticated animation. You can then move on to any other Maya book with confidence, or just continue working with the knowledge you've gained. You don't even have to buy Maya. It comes with a copy of Maya Personal Learning Edition on the tutorial CD.

The following is an excerpt from a letter I wrote to the books author, Jerry Parks, after finishing the book, which I thankfully purchased after stumbling on to some positive reviews on Amazon:

[I just wanted to write you and thank you for your fine book on the life principles of Joseph. I stumbled on to it on Amazon and thought it sounded interesting, so I bought it. I read it once and my wife and I are now going through it together for a second time. The thing I like about it is that you kept it simple. It's very practical as a life manual using Joseph's life as an example. We read The Purpose Driven Life last year and thought it was good...but it left us wanting. I think the biggest difference for us, and why we like your book so much, is that Purpose seems to be very "me" focused. Ie: What is my place? What should I do? Who am I in Christ? There's nothing inherently wrong with that but I think new believers are the primary beneficiaries of it's narrow focus. Your book however, is full of deep truths on living a healthy, well-balanced, Christian life. Christianity is about service, and I believe you capture that by emphasizing how Joseph found his purpose, his place, his peace... in serving - God and others. We are so blessed in this society, and yet, as you articulate so well, we continually want more. Christians as a whole are not an exception. I was very blessed to read a book that wasn't just empty calories for the soul, but a good, filling, juicy steak!

One criticism I have is that there are a lot of textual errors in the book. I'm sure the computer didn't catch them in spell check. I would like to send you my copy with the textual errors highlighted so you can correct them for your next printing. I believe the book is awesome and don't want to see people distracted by the errors. I compare that to a child suddenly wailing at a critical time in a sermon. It doesn't necessarily diminish the entire value of the sermon, but it can distract from the individual point being made. Also, please let me know when you publish your new book on Romans. I bet it will be great!]

This is the first time I've ever felt compelled to write a review for Amazon, so obviously I think everyone reading it ought to take my advice and buy this inspired book. Better yet, buy three copies: One for you, one for your pastor, and one for someone who you believe God has called to a great purpose.

I'm a veteran teacher--21 years. I'm enjoying your book on Joseph. I was a teaching leader in Bible Study Fellowship for 7 years. Your understanding of doctrine is refreshing in a post modern culture. Thanks for spending the time to write the book. I'm giving copies to my children for Christmas.

"...to be very up-front--I'm impressed! I outlined {for my book} nineteen priniciples that emerged from Jospeh's life...there are others in addition...which is obvious from your book. You are interested in principlizing--and do a good job at it!"

I gave this book to a college graduate after ordering a copy for myself. When I first saw the title, I thought the book was just about the troubles Joseph had in Egypt. Though it is one of my favorite bible stories, I wasn't sure I wanted to read all about his troubles. Boy was I surprised.

The book is more about Joseph's lessons from life (and how we can use the principles) than his troubles. Because these lessons (or bible principles) are so relevant to us today, and contain nice illustrations, I thought it would make a great graduation gift.

I thought I knew the Joseph story pretty well till I read this book. Doing so made me appreciate how great Joseph really was.

Those who will get the most from the book:

1. Anyone wanting to REALLY get into the Joseph story.
2. Someone wanting 32 neatly divided and outstanding principles to live by. This is the best part!
3. Anyone who wants to teach the Joesph story. (You should not be without this book no matter what!)
4. Parents. Because the chapter 1 is almost an instruction manual itself on what NOT to do as a parent (Jacob).
5. Young people (college) who are graduating (IF they'll read it), because it truly is a handbook for life. Below college might be too young.
6. Anyone who is a leader of others. This is another chapter that's a book by itself. I gave a copy to my son's principle!

I must say that although I liked this book very much (my copy is falling apart), some chapters are deep, especially the discussion of election/free will. But the last chapter "Life in the rear-view mirror" will make you so glad you are a Christian, and the concluding 'Psalm of Joseph' is so realistic one might wish he really had written it.

ALSO RECOMMENDED: "God, Help Me Pray!" by the same author--not as long (or as expensive), but you won't find a better short work on praying!!

Right off the bat I want to agree with the Minister in Colorado who stated that this book was more satisfying than "Purpose Driven Life". I too was somewhat disappointed by that book, although I do like it on some things.

But now this book. First, this book is more about LIFE lessons from Joseph than about Joseph's life. The Joseph story is one of my favorites, and I've read Swindoll, Getz, Anderson and others on Joseph's life. But as good as those are, they are soup and potatoes compared to this one--it's real meat!

This book could only be improved by an additional workbook. While there are study guides and questions in each chapter, this book will take you a while to appreciate. Every chapter goes through Joseph's life and teaches some of God's DEEPER truths such as effective prayer, election and free will, God's principle of a good leader, etc. The whole book could be summarized in Romans 8:28. So could Joseph's life.

So, if you want theology as milk soup, "Purpose Driven Life" is pretty good as far as it goes. If you're ready for something a little deeper--and you enjoy the life of Joseph--this book is truly awesome.

Get two copies. Keep one, and give the other to a college graduate heading out into the world. If they follow Joseph's 'road map', they'll never go wrong.

Solid!

ALSO RECOMMENDED: "God, Help Me Pray!" by the same author--not as long (or as expensive), but you won't find a better short work on praying!!