Smith Books

I first read Henry Mitchell in the Washington Post when my husband was receiving cancer treatment at NIH in 1982, and when I realized that his columns were collected in The Essential Earthman I immediately bought a copy. I have subsequently owned (and loaned out and thus lost) two or three more copies. As each planting season arrives I remember how much I've missed reading Henry's wisdom, and I berate myself for having loaned out (and lost) those books. So for the sake of upcoming generations of gardeners (and the old hands among us), would someone please reprint this valuable book? It's a book to read in the depth of winter and the heat of summer, in a spacious country garden or a tiny city yard, for beginning gardeners and old timers with permanently-stained hands. There never has been anyone quite like Henry Mitchell on gardening, or on life, for that matter. Grouchy, opinionated, funny, informative, brutally honest--his words will never go out of style.

The two books I have read cover to cover as gardening advice and as literature are this book and Christopher Lloyd's Adventurous Gardener. I have shelves of gardening and horticultural books.
It gives you more each time you read it.

Dear Publisher...please reprint this book. I love Henry Mitchell. I was one of the 'blessed' because I actually read Mr. Mitchell's columns (both of them) for years. I live in the Washington DC area, and subscribed to the Post. Those of us who gardened locally were twice blessed because he was not only one of the best garden writers ever, he struggled with the heat, humidity, and high winds that attack us from all sides. Whenever I am in my garden I think of him. When I look at my Japanese Anemones I remember he said "Once you have them you'll always have them." There have been times when I thought for sure they were goners, but they always survived. When I see a little plant struggling under a bush, I remember him saying, "One of these days I'll have to crawl under there and pull it out." When I see a fish tank, I think of him and his horse trough. I miss him.

I bought this book a few years ago based on the reviews. When I got it I tore into it and was sorely disappointed. That's the reason for 4 instead of 5 stars.

Why even 4 stars you ask? Well, about a month ago, for whatever reason, I picked it up again and now I LOVE IT!

Henry Mitchell is dry - like the soil under an oak. But he's terribly warm and fuzzy once you get to know him. I write a newsletter for my local garden club and have found quote after quote that I want to use for future issues. They're not la-dee-dah quotes that speak vaguely about the lovely joys of gardening. BLAH! Rather, they're jewels that point fingers at snobby gardeners and kill-joys who scold children for picking crocuses.

This is not a "pretty picture" book. It's sort of a how-to in an essay form. But more than that, it's great writing by a wonderful author on a topic I am crazy for.

My original copy of "The Earthman" is in shreds. Why?

I have read (and re-read) The Earthman for more than 20 years. Every time I returned to The Earthman, I had a patient, passionate teacher by my side.

With Henry's guidance, I matured. I learned to accept the rains that turned my garden into a sea of mud. I learned to accept the dogs who had a deep need to explore and "investigate" my treasured plants.

Henry is my friend and mentor. I cannot imagine life in the garden without him.

Mr.Smith's writing has put into words emotions I have been unable to define.The subtlety of his writing style quietly brings you to a deeper understanding of yourself and others. I very much enjoyed his ability to make a point without smacking you in the face to get your attention.

This is a recueil that breathes and grieves. It brims with striking apercu and exudes a palpable presence that you can taste, touch, hear and feel . Mr. Smith celebrates this flawed existence with language so beautiful it steals your breath.

Robert Smith has an enviable collection of poetry-making tools-- a clear and well-lit mind, a deep pool of honest, self-questioning emotion, a lover's intimacy with the physical world, and an absolutely pure delight in the sounds of words. And yet, he resists what must be a fearsome temptation to show off this tool-kit, one item at a time. Instead, responsible craftsman that he is, he simply applies each of these tools to every page, in precisely the right combination, with precisely the right touch, to achieve whole poems that satisfy the whole reader -- mind and heart, soul and senses. He would like it, I think, if his poems reminded us of Geoff Hill's (and they do, in the grandeur of their feeling), but this book reminds me much more often of Philip Larkin, the Larkin who refused poses of any kind, who could be counted on never, ever, to tell us more than he was absolutely certain of. Lies come easier than truths; poses are more convenient than mindfulness. The coming of the millenium, referred to several times in Bob Smith's book, was a great occasion for poses and hyperboles, but in these poems the most mundane details of weather -- "a few strands of cloud dyed pink by the last of the sunset," or rain that "falls as it must on the oblivious hills," regardless of what century we decide we're in -- are much more astonishing and meaningful, precisely because they are real. This poetry returns us, time and again, to what is real. In an age where even intelligence can be artificial, such insistence is called for.

Mr. Smith's, "Everything Moves With A Disfigured Grace," is an inspiring collection of poems providing reflections on life through penetrating visual imagery. In the poem, "At your Bedside," Smith writes, "the dreams of your illness lie gathered like embers - a low, white heat unstirred by morning's hand."
This and other selections leave the reader with a tangible sense of what the poet is attempting to communicate.

"Everything Moves With A Disfigured Grace" is simply one of the best books of poetry published in America in the last 40 years, and, to paraphrase Steve Earle speaking about Townes Van Zandt, "I'll stand in my cowboy boots on coffee tables at Billy Collins' house, at Ted Kooser's house, at Charles Simic's house, and at Robert Hass' house, and repeat that for anyone who cares to listen!"

I found this book to be extremely candid, honest and very inspirational. I really did have a hard time putting the book down--I couldn't wait to find out what happened next! It is not just a book about sports, but also a book about the human spirit and one man's desire to achieve his dreams, and I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.

I truly enjoyed Mr. Smith's "Life Journey". As I began reading, I did not know what to expect. I quickly found myself drawn to the passionate expression of love the author displayed for all areas of his life: family, friends, other loved ones and of course his first love of Baseball; later NFL (also basketball!) Not many individuals are as centered and grounded as this man, with all of his athletic prowess, ability and everything that goes along with that, he did not loose sight of his foundation - the love and dedication his family shares, the bond they have and continue to share to this day. Something else I found impressive was the honesty he shared with his readers about the highs and lows he experienced in both his professional sports life and his personal life. We all have a past, good and bad, but there are few of us who are willing to discuss this publicly and accept responsibility for our actions and as well as praise for our achievements. Mr. Smith exhibited both of these attributes effortlessly. I am reminded of one of my favorite sayings "life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away". Life is short, tomorrow is promised to no one. Mr. Smith's book reinforced this to me as I thought about my own dreams and desires. His book was a wonderful read and an inspiration to me. I thank Mr. Smith for sharing his life with myself and anyone else lucky enough to purchase it! Thank you Mr. Smith!!

Not being a huge sports fan, I was aprehensive about picking this up. Within a few pages, this book became my constant companion. Ed Smith stumbles, falls, and dusts himself off, facing each hurdle that life puts up for him. Very inspirational for anyone, but an amazing look behind the scenes for sports fans. You'll be surprised at what life on and off the field.

The journey of Ed Smith's lifetime took me on my own journey into self realization. Mr. Smith's relentless, inspirational, and "in-your-face" pursuit to fulfill his dreams, realize his full potential, and do the right thing along the way caused me to look deeply within myself and dish out a hearty "shame on you" at the image I saw.

Written in a way that ANYONE, regardless of their sporting knowledge, could understand, Mr. Smith tells the story of his life that evoked joy, sadness, laughter, tears, and a few audible "NO WAYs!". His ability to reveal his own humanity, and the humanity of others close to him, while maintaining the dignity of all involved was a beautiful testament of his own true character and heart.

I challenge anyone to read this book and tell me they remained unchanged. This book is a gift to my spirit and I consider it the catalyst to my own future accomplishments. Thank you Ed Smith for sharing yourself with us.

Not only does Ed Smith have a natural talent for sports but for writing as well! I couldn't put this book down! At times I caught my self cheering out loud, crying, and laughing. Ed's faith, perserverance, and love of family are very evident in this book. This is definately a must read!!

Even though tomes have been written on the American presidents, Dr. Smith manages to bring fresh insight as a result of painstaking research. ( It could serve as a model for any student looking to document his research) The book is not "light" reading....but the author writes with clarity and with as much impartiality as humanly possible. I found his distinction between the ways that these presidents' faith shaped their policies to be thought-provoking. This book provides a strong framework from which to examine the coming election season.

I encourage you to set aside a block of time each day as you loose yourself in the history and faith of each of these men. It is full of interesting faith facts that just a history of these presidents would never touch. I must confess it took me time to read and digest this book, but well worth the time. I look forward to reareading this book in order to grasp new facts that I did not glean from the first read. I would love to see it used in school class rooms everywhere. The research, notes and excellent writing of this work is outstanding!

A first-rate work in which eleven presidents are analyzed in terms of their religious beliefs and their actions. Solid framework of analysis. The work brims with new details, broad understandings, and sound and judicious conclusions. Impressive, varied bibliography. The copious notes, alone, are worth a close read. Sparkling writing and sound organization make this a page-turner.

Gary Scott Smith's Faith and the Presidency is fascinating to read and weighty in substance. Full of personal details drawn from the lives of various presidents as well as important observations about public policy and religious impulses, Smith hits the sweet spot between bold, exciting claims and strong supporting evidence.

I was particularly persuaded by the book's observation that the foreign policy of presidents more readily reveals their philosophical commitments because the U.S. presidency has greater latitude abroad than at home.

This is a book worth reading from cover to cover. Smith hits a home run with this exceptional book. A tour de force!

If you are looking for fresh information about the role of faith and religion in the lives of some of America's greatest presidents then I highly recommend purchasing Faith and the Presidency.
The author, Gary Smith has done his homework. His research is very thorough and his style of writing is clear and free of technical jargon.
I thought the book presented a balanced view of democrat and republican presidents; and the author covers each president's religious affiliation without bias. After reading this book I finally understand why religion is such a hot topic during every presidential election.
Reading about Abraham Lincoln and how his faith helped him address the crises of the civil war is the best I have read to date.
Students, teachers of history, religious leaders and those with a love of presidential history need this book to complete their library. A must read for 2007!

It's unfortunate that when talking about Jeff Smith, there's always the issue of what did or didn't happen in his personal life, but for those of us who were fans of the show we will always remember him for what he was, one of the top voices in food television long before anyone ever even thought of the Food Network. He had intelligence, humor, and a warmth of personality that only a handful of people could ever communicate through cathode rays, and those same traits are to be found here in these pages.
The Frugal Gourmet Cooks American is hands down my favorite of his cookbooks, and one of my absolute favorite cookbooks ever. It's a wonderful lesson in American cuisine and full of wonderful recipes. I frequently find it sitting on my coffee table, and it gets read, even when I'm not looking to cook anything.

First off, I'm a big fan of Smith, nevermind all the scandal. I watched his show religiously when I was a kid, and his were the first cookbooks I ever really read. He got me into cooking, for sure. This is one of his better books. Interesting lessons, great recipes, both unique and familiar. Some of my best versions of things, like chicken and dumplings, jambalya, barbeque, biscuits, and chili come directly from this book. Like all his recipes, they're straightforward, and always turn out well. I love his writing "voice", he always made me feel welcome in his world, and I view this book as a comfort, these days. It's like slipping into a favorite sweater. Even if you don't cook from it, it's worth reading just to read.

The Frugal Gourmet' Jeff Smith shows us some great American standards with interesting historic information to boot with this authentic American cook book! This is an excellent cook book for everyone. Jeff Smith has another winner here! It's full of great recipes and stories by a very talented cook and writer. This one focuses on American cooking. I have used many of these recipes and found them to be very good. Being a home grown cook myself and having a mother who is a fantastic cook, I found this book to be very helpful in expanding my culinary taste buds.

Jeff Smith entertained us for years on his PBS program 'The Frugal Gourmet'. Not only did he teach us many savory dishes, he also educated us. Not satisfied with just cooking delicious meals for his viewers, he would give detailed history lessons about the origins of the dish and made it all a lot of fun!

This may be Mr. Smiths best cook book and it is a worthy edition to everyone's cook book library. I own and have read many, if not all of his cook books, not only for the man's knowledge of cooking, but his incredible wit! This guy was funny and I would have loved to have hung out and throw a few beers down with him.

Unfortunately, this man had some very seriously bad press released about his personal life and well..... I am not one to spread rumors.....he seemed like a great guy and sadly he died before he was able to clear his name.

R.I.P. Frugs!

This is a great book, not only in the recipies (which are all wonderful), but in the stories BEHIND the recipies: where it all came from. I used this book quite a bit in the States, and now that I live in Germany I don't know what I would do without it. Our friends are always asking me for TRUE American dishes (not just the hamburgers everyone associates with the States.)

I really love all thoseHistory stories about GeorgeWashington, Thomas JeffersonThe Pilgrims Etc. that went along with the recipes.I hope that Jeff Smith will return to Television very,very soon.

This little book is enormously helpful in identifying birds' nests and eggs. It is an easy read and very informative. Would recommend to all who are interested in birds and birding.

This is a highly recommended book for identifying bird's nests. It's amazing to see all the different types of nests that birds make. These creatures have true workmanship. It must have been a great challenge for the photographer(s) to find and photograph all the different nests throughout this fascinating book. You don't see many books out there on the market like this, so I recommend it.

I was giving a class on monitoring bluebird boxes and I needed to show people the nests of predators and other birds that use the bluebird boxes. I wanted people to be able to see the difference between the nests built by bluebirds as compared to house sparrows, for instance. Also, I needed to show the different colors of eggs.

This book was absolutely essential for this. Once examining the photos in the book and reading the text, people were easily able to identify the different kinds of nests that had been built in the boxes we were monitoring.

I discovered this book while doing coursework at a teacher institute in northern Wisconsin. Like many amateur naturalists, finding an egg that has fallen from a nest is a momentous event, but I wasn't always sure of the bird that laid that egg. While I still might need to actually connect the actual bird with the egg visually, this guide goes a long way toward narrowing my choices.

A list of characteristics, such as oval, long and short pyriform shape, is clearly illustrated in a chart on the endpaper, accompanied by a ruler for measuring in the field. Most incredible to me are the photographs of bird nests in site containing typical egg clutches. Anyone who is a birder knows that these nests are very often difficult to access, as high as 80 feet up a tree! For the photographers to have not only located, but photographed, all these nests is nothing short of remarkable--and helpful. Detailed descriptions accompany the photos. The book is arranged in taxonomic order, making it easy for those of us used to this arrangement.

The average birdwatcher will probably be happy with a basic field guide to identify birds by sight. For those of us who always need "just one more field guide," this guide to nests is a unique addition to that ever-growing library.

We used this book as part of a homeschool/4H project to identify nests that we had found on our property. Using the detailed nest descriptions, photographs of the nests, and sketches of the birds (along with our pocket guide to Wisconsin birds) we had a great time identifying our nest collection. The book's organization makes it easy to narrow down the identification possibilities.

Chuck Smith is a fine Bible expert. He explains his points clearly and concisely.

I believe he is correct in his book The Final Act, and his theroies about how the Bible will play out. (no pun intended)

But, having said that, I still believe that the "Rapture", and "The Day of the Lord" are to happen on the same day.

The church will be taken to the heavenly Wedding Banquet (the virgins with full lamps) while those left of the earth will face the time of "Jacob's Trouble"(the virgins with the empty lamps).

I think the "Day of the Lord" ushers in the era of the beginning of the 7 year "Tribulation".

The 7 year countdown of the Tribulation will actually start when the Jewish nation enters into an agreement with the New Government that rises (like a Phoenix) out of the area of ancient Rome.

Yep, it's all in the Bible. We best study and know it because one of it's names is "The Word of God" and it is also one of Jesus's names: "The Word".

Chuch Smith is an excellent teacher. As long as there is a "Today" we should study to show "ourselves approved unto God".

"Why to the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing?.....

...Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and you perish in the way, when His wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all those who put their trust in Him." Psalm 2

I've been listening to Chuck's through the Bible series for quite sometime now. The Lord works through this man so well and in a way that is easy to understand. His book The Final Act is no different. It's very clear the way the end times are lining up and Chuck makes it simple to understand it all from a biblical point of view. Only for those that take the Bible seriously! MUST READ!

I enjoyed reading this book. It breaks down the events of the tribulation with scripture refrences. Each chapter ends with a list of Bible verses pertaining to the events gone over in that chapter. Very easy to read and understand.

Don't let your family go through the Great Tribulation. Time is running out. This book is the best way to reach people who know little or nothing about God and the Bible I have yet found. It reads more like a novella and people can go through it quickly, grasp what it is trying to say and get them to make a decision for God. The only area not yet revealed to man is whether the rapture will be before or after the war of Gog and Magog. David Hocking thinks it would be in line with God's great and loving heart to give one final warning/chance for people to repent and come to him by rapturing after the war of Gog and Magog.

Awesome summary of the current state of the world and the things to come! I received this book yesterday, and finished it today...very easy to understand and excellent tool to share with your unsaved friends. Buy 3, and give 2 to your friends. Do not let them go through the Great Tribulation. This book will help equip you to share your faith! God Bless you Pastor Chuck! Thank you for writing this book!

I had never read any books by this author before. His writing style is unique. The book was funny, serious, suspensful and it had a lot of twists and turns. I felt sorry for the lead character and the abuse that she endured. When she was scared, I was scared. I truly felt her defeats as well as her triumphs at the end of the book. The background on the abuser was an interesting storyline as well. The author gave you some insight as to why the abuser acted the way that he did, and you almost felt sorry for him. The author listed some frightening statistics at the end of the book that were really educational for me. I look forward to a sequel.

Darrin Lowery Smith is an up and coming author. He has great writing skills. He leaves you wondering what is going to happen next and how far will the characters go. You never know what to expect. This book is great reading material and I look forward to reading more from him.

This book was tight!All of Darrin Lowery Smith's books are tight. I met the brother recently and he was very down to earth. he gave me copies of all his books and his other joint, "Down Low, Double Life" that he wrote as D.L. Smith. This book had domestic violence, suspense, intrigue and some off the hook love scenes. The whole time that I was reading what the lead female was going through, I was cheering for her as the story progressed. She went through a lot. This book opened my eyes to some things that are really going on in relationships. Not enough attention is brought to this issue. I think putting DV in story form will reach more people. This brother is doing it!

This books starts off really cool with the way the lead character relates to his patients and his childhood friend. It then picks up speed as one lead character meets the other. The abuse scenes were intense. The background of some of the characters was intense also. The erotic scenes were well written and they took some of the edge off the book. When the lead character was scared, the reader was scared. I thought this book was well written. The ending was a major triumph for the lead character, Erica after all she had been through. Like I said, the book was funny, the erotic scenes were on point, and the suspense was wild. I am going to pick up Darrin Lowery Smith's other book, "Down Low, Double Life." He wrote that book as D.L. Smith. I'm curious to see if it's just as good.

Forbidden - not allowed; prohibited.

What's wrong with a relationship between two consenting adults that are physically and sexually attracted to one another? Well, what if one party is a therapist and the other is his patient?

Leon Alexander is a therapist with a thriving practice shared with his childhood friend. He's a good looking brother, has a nice place, two automobiles and is looking for a woman to be his queen. Women should be falling all over him, right? WRONG. He's passed over time and time again because he's "lame" or not enough of a "bad boy." That is until he meets Erica. Beautiful and intelligent Erica.

Erica Johnson, with her business smarts and savvy, is slowly climbing up the corporate ladder. She could probably climb that ladder faster if her personal life was not spilling over into and affecting her work performance. Erica is in a physically abusive relationship and seeks the help of one Leon Alexander.

Torn between ethics and emotions, will Leon continue counseling Erica, refer her to another therapist or decide to take doctor/patient confidentiality to a whole 'nother level?

Saddled with an array of feelings, will Erica try to work through her abusive relationship, or move on to someone better? Someone like her therapist.

Darrin takes readers on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Highs and lows. Twists and turns. Ups and downs. Forbidden gives a full helping of drama, action and gratuitous sex. All of this centers around the very serious issue of domestic violence.

I become aware of this book thanks to Amazon. This brother is seriously being slept on. Wake up people! And sisters - love is not supposed to hurt.

I never though I'd read a cookbook, but Jeff Smith is such an engaging personality that I was almost left wanting more prose and less recipes! If you like cooking and you like history, this book will deliver on both counts.

This is an excellent cook book! It's full of great recipes and stories by a very talented cook and writer. This one focuses on 3 major influences in the culinary world. Jeff Smith entertained us for years on his PBS program 'The Frugal Gourmet'. Not only did he teach us many savory dishes, he also educated us. Not satisfied with just cooking delicious meals for his viewers, he would give detailed history lessons about the origins of the dish and made it all a lot of fun!

This may be Mr. Smiths best cook book and it is a worthy edition to everyone's cook book library. I own and have read many, if not all of his cook books, not only for the man's knowledge of cooking, but his incredible wit! This guy was funny and I would have loved to have hung out and throw a few beers down with him.

Unfortunately, this man had some very seriously bad press released about his personal life and well..... I am not one to spread rumors.....he seemed like a great guy and sadly he died before he was able to clear his name.

R.I.P. Frugs!

Taking Chineese, Greek and Roman cooking influences, Smith ofTV fame brings forth an offering which resembles the James Beard books which provide not only great recipes but a running commentary on the culture which produces the food and some experience remembrances by the author.

This is fun cooking and well done. Well representative of the cuisines and done with helpful hints on each.

A workhorse for the cook willing to use it to branch out and experiement in these formative areas of food history. For openers, try Spareribs with Black Beans and Pepper Sauce, Halvah Cake or the Seafood Risotto.

My humble opinion is that Roman cooking is slighted out of the three. See Malto Mario for some great Rome recipes.

This book by Jeff Smith has to be my favorite one that he has written. This book focuses on recipes from China, Greece, and Rome. The recies in this book are flavorful, and very enjoyable. My favorite recipe in here is strangely enough Garlic, Eggs, and Pasta. There is a wide range in recipes, both in flavors and ingredients. Jeff Smith does an excellent job of paring history as well as anecdotes with all of his recipes. This should be a must add for anyone who enjoys historical cooking.

Whenever I entertain my Greek relatives, they are amazed by my flair in their native cooking. Jeff's recipes are easy to follow and make Greek cooking simple.

Book is well illustrated, with lots of good information on period furniture.

Excellent service and book as good as or better than originally thought to be. Would definitely order from them again.

This book is a classic and all the other reviews are right-on. If you're interested in woodworking--especially creating antique reproduction designs buy this book. It's cheap. Now if you're a woodworking novice, you'll likely be intimidated at the design detail saying "how can anyone ever carve that!" and you'll be tempted to throw it on the shelf and forget it. That's OK. If you keep doing woodworking, you'll find yourself coming back to look at Chippendale. You'll go to antique shows and museums and see the real thing and eventually gain the confidence to give it a try. The book is inspiring in its design. You should own it if you're interested in finewoodworking because over the years, your comfort with it will be a measure of your own woodworking maturity.

The ball and claw foot is perhaps the one thing most commonly associated with Chippendale, but it is omitted entirely since it had gone out of fashion by the time he wrote the book. Instead, he includes Rococo, Chinese, and Gothic designs. The Rococo designs are extremely heavily ornamented, and fashioned in the most outlandish curved shapes: if you ever thought Pablo Picasso and "modern art" was too far out, take a look at these! The ribbon back chairs struck me as a particularly interesting design. The Chinese designs are far more subdued, and most have a bit of a swastika motif built into them. The editor for the modern version has added an appendix with several photographs of original Chippendale era furniture (not necessarily built by Chippendale himself), including several chosen to show that it really was possible to build the more elaborate designs. This is perhaps the single most historically significant book on furniture design ever written, and no furniture library would be complete without it.

This large catalog style paper back book is an excellent reference for architecture, furniture and design. Black drawing on newsprint paper, this book was a catalog of Thomas Chippendale's furniture shop in England and gives detailed motifs for the antique dealer and cabinet maker alike.