Stevens Books

This is a truly amazing book on Yellowstone. I have not seen one like it. Although much of the book is devoted to newly discovered waterfalls, all the famous ones are in here too. Like Lower Falls, Tower Falls, and the Gibbon Falls. It makes this a great book for any lover of Yellowstone. Whether you've been to the park for a day or visited every year since childhood like myself you will enjoy this book. Even if you just want information on a beautiful part of America.

It has so much information. Waterfall heights, locations, streams and much much more. The hundreds of photos, which are all color, are beautiful; and the numerous maps are very helpful.

If you love Yellowstone, waterfalls, or just great natural scenery you'll want to add this classic to your collection.

The authors of this book have tracked down, and provided color photos, of no less than 250 waterfalls in Yellowstone. While some were previously well known, many are new discoveries or re-discoveries of falls not seen in many years. That so many notable falls could occur in one area (even as large as Yellowstone)is remarkable; that so many significant falls could have remained to be discovered is downright ming-boggling. The authors provide interesting histories and excellent photos of each fall, and the book will be a joy to read and look at for any waterfall lover. My slight quibble is that while they provide coordinates and category of access for each fall, they don't provide directions or hiking distance. (In fairness, it can well be argued that if the information isn't readily available elsewhere for a given fall then the trek is one that should only be undertaken by a hardcore hiker.) Despite the quibble, this is a great book for any waterfall lover, and especially for one planning a trip to Yellowstone.



Waterfalls are one of natures natural high producers. Do a search on negative ions and you will find that falling water creates an abundance of negative ions in the air. Breathing in this charged air mixture gives a body a natural, invigorating, temporary high. In their book, the authors have obviously been infected by this condition as evidenced by there irrepressible quest to seek out more and more sources of the negative ion producing waterfalls.

This book scores high marks on many fronts. With three different authors contributing, the book does a marvelous job of providing a general education on waterfalls. By clarifying the terms and classes of the waterfalls described, author Rubenstein helps to give personality and color to each individual plume.

Author Whittlesey's extensive historic perspective of the park gives each of the known waterfalls a vivid background description. When the authors caution you not to lean over the trail barrier too far to view a particular waterfall, they then follow up with the details of the tourist that died falling down that very cliff at the same site. As a drive guide to Yellowstones' waterfalls this book cannot be beat. All of the easily accessed falls are covered and described in detail including seasonal variations. For the typical tourist driving through the park, this book will appeal immediately because of the revelation that many more falls are visible with just a short car stop and walk to a viewpoint.

As a hikers guide to the Parks waterfalls this book will have even more appeal. Having spent over 15 years researching the back country for this book, author Mike Stevens has been to many of the falls on repeat occasions under a variety of conditions. In this aspect the book becomes a must for anyone hiking in the back country of Yellowstone. All of the standard trail recommendations are detailed along with accurate descriptions of how to find the falls and experience them in their best display. There are so many falls in the Yellowstone region that this book will certainly add color to almost any hike in the park.

Yellowstone Park is like a huge treasure chest of wild gems. By revealing and putting names to some of the previously `unknown' falls the authors have dug a little deeper into the treasures and helped us realize there is a lot more value in this park than any of us realize. For the experienced Yellowstone back country explorers this book is a must. The authors even give GPS coordinates to many falls that have previously not been written about. Many of the falls have no trails and require at least an overnight stay in the back country. Others are so inaccessible that the authors honestly suggest that the strenuous hike is not worth the effort. The authors even give suggested locations for other waterfalls that have yet to be discovered.

Being a Yellowstone park fan myself I give this book my highest rating and only wish it would have been available when I was employed in the park. The authors show a true enthusiasm for the whole park not just the waterfalls. This book will make you want to get out and get some of those negative ions from the cascading waters. From the text and photos it is apparent that the authors have already had a healthy dose of their own!

It is remarkable that in the 1990s, in a place as frequently visited as Yellowstone Park, the authors could discover (and rediscover) nearly 300 waterfalls. And some of the discoveries are amazing: 400-foot-high flumes, waterfalls that begin at a cliff-face and disappear thirty feet later, cascades that twist 180 degrees in their descent.

The photographs range from adequate to stunning, and the descriptions of locations--complete with UTM grid coordinates--make the guide useful to hikers. A summary description explains the place, type, and height of each waterfall, along with a quick evaluation of the effort involved to find each one. As a result, it's a useful guide for everyone from tourists to car campers to serious trekkers.

But the main impact of The Guide to Yellowstone Waterfalls is to reinforce the majesty of Yellowstone Park. Anyone who has spent any time in Yellowstone knows its unique combination of serenity and wierdness: it is a land of oxymorons--and waterfalls.

This is also an eye-opening book. not just a pageturner. I couldn't put it down, just had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. It's an incredibly real story, something that could happen to you and your family or mine, yet because of the subject matter, there is something surrealistic about it at the same time. Definitely worth buying and reading for anyone who is a fan of fast-paced action novels.

I found this story very entertaining and quite startling. Parts of it were nothing less than gripping. As well, it is often very light and humorous: the author lets one relax and laugh in between more distressing sections of his story.

I have done quite a bit of reading of WW II and am familiar with the key part that psychiatry played in the well known horrors of that time. In this book, the link between psychiatry then and now and the state of the society as a result of psychiatry then and now was excellently presented.

In the past couple of decades I have read stories written by WW II survivors, or comments by actors in a WW II role, or directors and one for one they say "we have to keep alert and prevent such things from happening again" or something of that nature. I always get the idea they just sort of turn around and go home with the mistaken idea that nowadays such things are not occurring and further that they absolutely cannot occur.This book by Stephen Ferry quickly disabuses one of those incorrect ideas.

The Hallervorden Collection is both a hair-raising thriller and a vital eye-opener that should be studied broadly because it is more than a novel: it is a mirror on our own society.

The writer reveals a gruesome, covert game being played beneath the social veneer of the western democracies: a game that has undermined human rights and caused the decline of our culture.

To make his point, Steven Ferry describes sequences from Hitler's Germany, following a few memorable characters in their desperate efforts to make the allies see the Nazi horrors that the allies, blinded by German propaganda, cannot see. The plot moves on to two young Americans who have stumbled upon the efforts of the early German resistance, and can't help seeing parallels with American society today. Their search in Germany leads them to the inescapable conclusion that the hidden forces behind the Nazis are still dictating events today not only in Germany, but the western democracies. The question is, can they escape with their lives and communicate their findings to a skeptical world, blinded by the same propaganda, before it is too late?

This book was written in the late 1990s, and the creation of the Department of Homeland Security, the war on terror, and the efforts in 2004 to create mandatory psychiatric screening and drugging of all Americans under the "New Freedom Commission on Mental Health," only serve to show that the author is ahead of his time, while writing in the tradition of George Orwell's mind-numbing predictions of 1984 and Aldous Huxley's Brave New World.

As an individual who has spent her life fighting these forces of social control and repression of individual liberties, and who witnessed the horrors of Nazi Germany first hand, I have no doubt that this novel is more than a novel. It is a wake-up call, because the noose, once again, is tightening around our freedoms.
The message may be deadly serious, but it is conveyed in an upbeat, eloquent, and fast-paced style: a thriller that serves up hope, despair, great excitement, tragedy, humor and love in memorable characters.
Read it!
Gun Lanciai, Denmark.

(my friend Gun, who has no email, asked me to send this review from my computer. Rebecca)

The Hallervorden Collection is a powerful story told at a pace that does not let up. The author's masterful use of language and skill as a storyteller take the reader outside his or her own time and culture to lay bare the truths about the timeless struggle between good and evil, and then returns him with a jolt to the present, more aware and questioning.

Using the alarming increase of NeoNazism in today's Germany as a springboard, the novel follows the heroine, Maia Dietrich, on a trail that leads eventually to an unlikely group that was behind Hitler's excesses, and which is still promoting the same ideas from positions of power around the world.

Although the background that plays out may be alarming, it is based on well-researched fact, with dramatic license taken only for the main characters and their experiences. The Hallervorden Collection, for instance, does exist. It was the subject of a CNN report on October 7, 1997.

But there is another side to this novel that is completely refreshing and takes this story beyond Ludlum or Clancy. The main characters have a clarity and vitality that makes them heroes of a different caliber. Their values and understandings are clear, and their emotions, subtle or raw, are palpable. While the theme is deadly serious and cerebral, the book is not. It contains lighthearted and exciting moments, with enough suggestions of sex and violence to keep the readers' baser instincts intact. The author's insouciance and irrepressible sense of humor and understanding of the positive side of life, shine through, making the novel a celebration of life. The moments of innocent love, the delightfully idiosyncratic life style of the wealthy Hollywood film director, the love and caring of family, and many poignant vignettes of ordinary life provide a reality and relief that makes clear why the ugly, the evil and bad must be overcome.

I read this book which I thought was important to do
in Lieu of what's going on in the world today. I found
it very informative and easy to understand. I recommend
this book to anyone who is feeling any anxiety about
what is going with Terrorism & Chemical Warefare and can't
make heads or tails of what the news says. This helped
make things clearer for me.

Bravo Mr. Hoenig! This concise handbook expertly defines the terms and details of chemical warfare. I think that most readers will benefit from this book. Universities, hospitals, government agencies,etc... should make this required reading.

I am so excited that there is a fast and easy to read resource on this current topic. We should all know more about chemical warfare today. I definitely recommend this book. It is important given the fears we all now face.

This is a terrific resource on terrorism. Considering the current problems we now face, I highly recommend this book to everyone. It applies to us all. College students and professors take note: this is an excellent learning tool. I am very impressed with the author's knowledge on this subject. This is a vital resource.

Michael Newton has managed to introduce us to Scottish Gaelic culture in a well researched and enaging way. It's not dry, it's not difficult to understand. I say introduction, as to try and cover every single aspect of history, lore and so on, in one volume, would be difficult. He has presented a cohesive, well rounded picture from the point of view of the culture itself, not as an outside study. Welcome as well, is the fact he also touches on the present state of things, which of course history books generally dont get into.
With the curious lack of this type of work, this was a welcome addition to my library. One may further research the aspects he brings to us, checking through the bibliography.
Mr. Newton also has a website, and is very active in the preservation of the language, stories, folklore. I hope he publishes more.

Whether you just have a curiosity, are seeking to know more of "your people", or are a student, this is an excellent place to begin.

I'm sick and tired of having to explain to Scottish people why I'm interested in Scottish Gaelic culture. Maybe if they read this book they'll get a good idea why it is important to Scotland as a whole (not just the Highlands), and why we should be preserving the language instead of ignoring it, or being hostile to it. If nothing else I wish someone had come up with a book like this earlier! The nearest equivalent is 'The Companion to Gaelic Scotland' which is really an encyclopedia and contains numerous omissions.

The most upsetting thing to a student of the Scottish Gaelic Culture is the lack of accurate information available. Among "Brigadoonery", New-Age rosy-coloured romanticism, and commonly available histories of Scotland, the student is faced with errors, misrepresentations, and outright indifference to Gaelic heritage and culture. Dr. Newton's work is the first serious attempt to redress this situation.

"A Handbook of Scottish Gaelic Culture" provides a useful starting place for both the novice and the scholar by describing the culture in its own words. He uses folktales, poetry, songs and stories in Gaelic, with English translations, to support descriptions of all aspects of daily life: work, family, social, spiritual, creative life and entertainment. Many of his sources, being Gaelic, have never been available to the English-speaking student before.

Because Dr. Newton is attempting such a massive undertaking, there are some aspects of the work which are dealt with in less detail than others would like. I found it curious, for instance, that there isn't a section on fishing as a community food source. This was of prime importance in Coastal and Island communities. That said, it must be remembered that this is, after all, a "Handbook", not an "Encyclopaedia". He has included copious notes and an eleven page bibliography for further study for those who wish more information.

This book is valuable for everyone interested in the real culture of the Scottish Highlands and Islands.

Anyone who is interested in any aspect of Scottish Gaelic culture- the language,clan history, pipe or fiddle music, bardic poetry, Highland dance, spirituality and so on- should read this book first. Why? Because all these things are parts of a whole, and this may be the first book to treat them that way. As a result, they are all much easier to understand, and every part of the culture makes sense on a deeper level than in previous studies. The author discusses Gaelic culture in terms of its own traditional values, and in its own words (by quoting many Gaelic poems and songs). This is an almost revolutionary approach, considering how much tartan sentimentalism, New Age marketing and anti-Gaelic propaganda have distorted the picture. This book gives a much clearer view. But there is a coherant philosophy to the book that also puts the Gaelic experience in the context of the broader world. Those who are interested in Celtic spirituality will find many illusions dispelled here. But in the process, they will also be introduced to something far more beautiful and valuable- real Gaelic spirituality and culture, which can only be understood on Gaelic terms. This is a big step in that direction.

excellent coverage of normal sleep physiology. great on normal sleep needs, ways to recognize deficits (which can be sneaky) and ways to improve the chances for adequate sleep. common sleep disorders - recognition and treatment. a wonderful primer on all aspects of sleep health. some surprising statistics on the public health aspects of sleep: you will be amazed at how many people are affected by problems with sleep and how these affects manifest themselves.

It's tough to beat the credentials of the Harvard Medical School in the very crowded sleep category, and this volume meets expectations. Other reviewers here have described the contents well. And, the author's basic approach appears on the back cover, and is well described in the textual material.

Turn your bedroom into the optimal sleep environment
Finally overcome insomnia
Silence buzz-saw snoring
Relax restless legs
Deal with daytime exhaustion
Determine if sleep medication is right for you
Improve your sleep by improving your child's sleep

This approach is certainly good for people who do not travel often, and some of the ideas would carry over when you aren't sleeping at home. Learning how to fall asleep anywhere anytime is a great benefit for travelers. It can also be very helpful as one ages when it seems to be harder and harder to get to sleep.

Years ago I learned how to fall asleep, any time, anywhere I want to .

People often ask for the technique I use. I give them a copy of this book to be sure they have access to top flight science on the subject, and also the attached description of my personal technique. It works for me, but your mileage may vary.

There are a lot of sleep books out there, but this one is unique in presenting the latest research in a readable style. And it covers a wide variety of topics, from infant and child sleep patterns to problems common in seniors ... and everything in between. Whether you suffer from sleep problems yourself or struggle with a snoring partner, a colicky baby, or a sleep-deprived teen, you are bound to find answers here. My whole family bought this book-- three generations -- and we all sleep better now.

As part of the Harvard Medical School Guides, this book comes with considerable stature. It begins with an excellent chapter on the ABC's of sleep in which the science of sleep is discussed. In particular, the various types of brain waves and stages of sleep are examined. The following chapter deals with how much sleep we need; the author states that on the average Americans get 6.9 hours a night, and needs about 7.5. He emphasizes however, that there is a relatively large range in people. A particularly interesting chapter is one on sleep "myths," and one of the myths he explores is whether or not you need less sleep as you age.
A central feature of the book is a 6 step plan for better sleep. This includes such things as a healthy lifestyle, maintaining good sleep habits, and watching for sleep sabateurs. He also has a long section on various sleep disorders such as insomnia, sleep apnea,and narcolepsy, and he does a good job of discussing each. In particular, he suggests treatments for each.
His discussion of sleep medications is more complete than those in most sleep books. He talks about most of the medications on the market, both over-the-counter and prescription, and he give his opinion of many of them. Like most sleep specialist, he does not strongly recommend sleeping pills, but points out the they do have their place. He also discusses herbs such as valerian and melatonin.
Overall the book contains a lot of useful information, and of course the author is a sleep specialist. It contains a more detailed discussion of the science behind sleep than "Good Night" by Michael Breus, and in general compares well with it. Although the two books cover many of the same topics, they compliment one another. One slight drawback is that it has no bibliography.
Barry Parker Ph.D. Author of "Feel Great Feel Alive."

Wishbone is a lovable ,talking, pooch full of stories. He has a tail overflowing in excitement, as the humans around him try to grasp what is truly going on.
Aside from all the cuteness,Wishbone explains words the reader may not know. His words are bold, for simple reference.
This story isn't overly scary, nor wordy. It has enough adventure to keep young readers wanting more.

Someone is haunting the clubhouse that Joe, Sam, David are hanging out in with some new kids. The person is found, but the REAL mystery is just beginning!

This book is super! This mystery has another mystery inside the first one! The end of the book is extremely surprising!!! I finished this book over the weekend because it was so good!

As in all Wishbone tales this story has us looking at a famous book and dealing with another story. In the case of the mystery tales we have a mystery in another mystery. This makes for a doubly mysterious book. It was funny and kind of scary. It as a surprise at the end as all mysteries are. I liked the book and thing everyone should read the whole series.

This is a fun book that provides some great Montana travel tips. Stevens primarily focuses on haunted locations you can visit, but in many of the comments at the end of each section she also provides information about other unique places in the area to visit. Stevens' tips will provide travelers with an intimate experience of Montana.

I also really enjoyed how the sections were divided up so the reader knows how likely it is to encounter something at each location. The stories and personal experiences provided for each location give the reader a bit of history, insight into the ghostly activity and a desire to visit each place in person.

Haunted Montana is an entertaining book in and of itself, but it is also a useful tool for those looking to visit Montana.

Want to hang around a haunted hotel, have lunch at a haunted restaurant or listen to other-worldly voices at a haunted batttlefield? Find out where and how to find ghosts all over Montana. Grab your camera -- no matter where you go under the Big Sky, the author knows a haunted site not too far away. This travel guide to the supernatural will appeal to the curious, the just-for-fun, and the serious ghost hunters who want to know where to find their next chilling tale.

Karen Stevens' book "Haunted Montana: A Ghost Hunter's Guide to Haunted Places You Can Visit -If You Dare!" focuses on haunted places in Montana that are accessible to the public, so that you too can go and try to experience the spooky goings-on yourself! This is a guidebook for ghost hunters in Montana, as Stevens is an avid ghost hunter herself.

While this book does cover some of the most famous sites in Montana mentioned in previous Montana ghost books by Munn and Baumler, such as the Grandstreet Theater in Helena, and Virginia City, it is different in several ways:

1. Stevens covers only publicly accessible sites, no private homes, so that you can go and do a little investigating yourself.

2. Stevens adds some new sites, especially in eastern Montana, not covered
before.

3. One of the best features is a ranking of the frequency of ghostly activity at the site, whether low, moderate, or high; very useful to the novice ghost hunter

Following is a listing of the sites this book covers, first the town (or closest town) and then the sites themselves:

Anaconda: Copper Village Museum and Art Center (originally Anaconda City Hall); Anaconda Copper Company Smelter site with stack

Bannack State Park: Meade Hotel; Bessette House; Grasshopper Creek; Old Jail

Big Hole Valley: Big Hole National Battlefield; Chief Joseph Pass

Billings: Western Heritage Center (originally Parmly Billings Memorial Library); Union Depot/"The Beanery"restaurant; Juliano's Restaurant; Parmly Billings Library

Bozeman: Casa Sanchez restaurant; MSU Strand Union Theater

Browning: Highway 464/Duck Lake Road, between Browning and Babb

Butte: Arts Chateau Museum (originally Charles Walker Clark Mansion); Rookwood Speakeasy (originally Rookwood Hotel); old Hirbour barbershop; old City Hall Jail

Deer Lodge: Old Montana Territorial Prison; Grant-Kohrs Ranch

Fort Peck: Fort Peck Summer Theater; Fort Peck Hotel

Fromberg: Little Cowboy Bar

Gallatin Gateway: Gallatin Gateway Inn

Garnet (ghost town): Kelly's Saloon; J. K. Wells Hotel

Great Falls: Tracy's 24-Hour Family Restaurant (originally Stanton Bank & Trust foundations and Hank's Hamburger Haven); Paris Gibson Square Museum of Art(originally Central High School); Black Horse Lake (near Great Falls, north on Highway 87, near mile marker 9)

Hamilton: Marcus Daly National Historic Site ("Riverside" mansion)

Hardin (Crow Agency): Little Bighorn Battlefield

Havre: Park Hotel; Havre Railroad Museum and Havre Beneath the Streets (underground display of exhibits); Oxford Bar

Helena: Grandstreet Theater

Highway 382 (Perma to Hot Springs): Markle Hill

Hobson: Meadow Brook Farm (Bed and Breakfast)

Hysham: South of Interstate 94: the old Bridger Trail (?)

Kalispell: Conrad Mansion

Lincoln: Hotel Lincoln

Miles City: Club 519 (originally First National Bank); Olive Hotel (originally Leighton Hotel)

Missoula: Fort Missoula

Nevada City: Nevada City Hotel

Red Lodge: Pollard Hotel

Reed Point: Hotel Montana and Wild Horse Saloon

Virginia City: Many of the buildings have ghost incidents, including Bennett House (now aB&B), Wells Fargo Coffee House (originally Buford Store); Bonanza Inn(originally a Catholic hospital), Bonanza House (originally nun's rectory), Opera House and rehearsal hall behind.

West Glacier: Belton Chalet and railroad station

All in all, "Haunted Montana" is a splendid addition to Montana's ghost lore,and especially valuable for tourists and ghost hunters of all ages!

Haunted Montana is a must read for paranormal enthusiasts everywhere. Karen Stevens writes with an expert pen and is a ghost hunter and paranormal researcher of highest integrity, skill, and experience. I know, having had the privilege of joining her on many ghost hunting forays to England and Wales as well as a few stateside. As a research librarian, she also knows books - understands what makes a book a good and entertaining read. In Haunted Montana, she combines this knowledge with her extensive paranormal experience to give readers an incredibly appealing ghost book.

All sites listed are open to the public which is a tremendous bonus sure to please those wishing to explore the hauntings on their own. Even site telephone numbers are given, along with the addresses. But armchair ghost lovers won't be disappointed. Stevens' well-written essays transport, taking the reader right to the scene as if you were there with her.

Another very helpful feature is the rating scale of 'Ghostly Activity Level.' Noted at the top of each new listing, the scale immediately shows whether a site's paranormal goings-on are Low, Moderate, or High.

In addition, as noted in the book's introduction, another perk is that Stevens chose only sites with recently recorded paranormal activities. This makes the book an invaluable ghosting guide, increasing the chances of catching a glimpse of the activity for those wishing to explore on their own.

The essays themselves are varied and fascinating. Stevens gives a brief summary of the site's 'History' and then delves into the actual 'Phenomena,' detailing the haunting in a refreshing combination of Stevens' interviews with eyewitnesses and then describing her own experiences and impressions upon visiting the site.

Another feature I really enjoyed are the little personal commentaries at the end of each essay. Sometimes amusing, sometimes poignant, each one is the perfect wrap-up to the listing. The observation to the account of the Nez Perce haunting at Big Hole National Battlefield (The Spirits of Big Hole National Battlefield) was particularly touching - and revealing of Stevens' integrity as a paranormal researcher: she reminds possible visitors that the site is 'a place of tragedy and should be approached with respect.'

Lastly, the book closes with Stevens' own 'Tips For Ghost Hunters.' Concise, insightful, and definitely helpful, this feature alone is well worth the price of the book. Karen Stevens is indeed an authority in her field and has amassed her knowledge through decades of hands-on experience. No one does it better.

Don't miss Haunted Montana. It's a guaranteed ghosting good read!

from The Orange County Register
September 13, 2001

by Judy Bart Kancigor, author of Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes from the Rabinowitz Family

With Jewish cooks busily preparing for Rosh Hashanah (beginning Monday
night), the last thought on anyone's mind is low fat, but Steven Raichlen's
new cookbook, "Healthy Jewish Cooking" (Viking), a lusciously photographed
homage to his family, offers tasty renditions of over 150 classic Jewish
recipes that nourish the soul without damaging the heart. And with his
slimmed-down versions of his family's beloved recipes, we can now have our
knish and eat it too.

"The great cooks of my childhood - who came of age during the depression - were more interested in filling plates than in the health consciousness of their dinners," says Raichlen, who was a restaurant critic for a major city magazine in the '80's and eating out constantly when he developed a cholesterol problem.

So he began reducing the fat in his favorite recipes, and the result was his "High-Flavor, Low-Fat" series. Now Raichlen, famous as the grilling guru ("The Barbecue Bible," "How to Grill"), applies his 10 Commandments of
low-fat cooking to the last bastion of the clogged artery, Jewish food, with "think flavor, not fat" his mantra.

"'Barbecue Bible' took me four years to write," says Raichlen, who
traveled to 25 countries on five continents researching the book, writing
"Healthy Jewish Cooking" during the same period. "There was a lot of
overlap. The Middle East is one of the real hotbeds of grilling expertise.
Barbecue is not part of the Ashkenazi (Eastern European) tradition. I don't
ever remember watching my grandfather grill, for example, but in Israel it's very much a part of their culture."

So what will the Raichlen family be eating this Rosh Hashanah? Surprise, surprise.

Son Jake Klein of HeartBeat at the W Hotel in New York (and incidentally the food stylist for "Healthy Jewish Cooking") will be visiting, and together father and son will fire up the grill. "We will probably be the only Jewish family in Miami to barbecue its brisket instead of braising it in the oven with dried fruits. We will rub it with cumin, paprika, garlic, salt and pepper and smoke it for six hours. It will be amazing barbecue, the way God meant for you to eat it!"

Sweet foods are the order of the day on this holiday. "At the beginning of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year, we wish for sweetness," says Elaine Asa, wife of Fullerton Temple Beth Tikvah's Rabbi Emeritus, Haim Asa, "so we dip apples in honey as our hope for a sweet year." Challah, the symbolic sweet egg bread, normally braided, is baked round for Rosh Hashanah "to symbolize the continuity of life," says Asa. "It has no beginning or end. This is the season when we are written in the book of life."

A lovely sweet side dish for the Rosh Hashanah table is Raichlen's Moroccan Carrot Salad, "the round slices of carrots representing gold shekels, a symbol of prosperity." Rose water or orange liqueur may be substituted for the orange-flower water, which is available in Middle Eastern and Indian markets, "but," says Raichlen, "the effect won't be quite the same."

MOROCCAN CARROT SALAD (from "Healthy Jewish Cooking" by Steven Raichlen)
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut crosswise into 1/4" rounds
2 TBS. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt + 1/8 tsp. for the final seasoning
3 TBS. raisins
1 TBS. lemon juice
1 tsp. canola oil
1 tsp. orange-flower water
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

Place the carrots, 1 TBS. sugar and 1/4 tsp. salt in a saucepan and add water just to cover. Cook the carrots over high heat until tender, 4 to 6 minutes.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the raisins. Let the mixture cool. Drain the carrots and raisins and place in an attractive serving bowl. Stir in the remaining 1 TBS. sugar, the lemon juice, oil, orange-flower water, cinnamon, and remaining 1/8 tsp. salt. Correct the seasoning, adding any of the flavorings to taste. The salad should be sweet and perfumy. Serves 4 to 6.

This was a real find of a cookbook. I am looking to expand my repetoire of Jewish recipes and want them to be healthy as well. The introduction is a treat to read as well as the personal entries at the top of each recipe. The recipes I have made thus far have all turned out terrific and inspire me to want to cook more out of this book. I'd eat in this author's kitchen any day!

Who knew that Jewish cooking can have a light touch? Raichlen, like many reformed Jews growing up in Pikesville/Baltimore in the 1950's, lived his Judaism through his foods - soups, mandelech, pirogis, briskets, desserts, flanken, knaidlach, tsimmis, and baklava. But, today, these foods can be done lite. His techniques include bake-frying and grilling, focusing on naturally low fat foods, using egg substitutes, using chicken broth instead of schmaltz, increasing the ratio of vegetables to meats, sauteing with non stick pans, and roasting. His 175 recipes include mock schmaltz made from canola oil, a breakfast sangria (for a Yom Kippur Break Fast) from the Caribbean, Curacaoan hot cocoa, quick bake-fried kreplach, sweet cheese kreplach, sephardic empanadas, baltic pirogi, veggie chopped liver, lowfat chopped chicken liver, a low fat chicken soup, matzo ball soup, hot borscht, Greek egg-lemon matzo soup, sauerkraut soup, salonikan soup, and sorrel schav soup. He includes eleven salads including a two-egg-salad made from eggs and eggplants. Speaking of vegetable dishes, there are fourteen, including a tropical tsimmis, a Jewish Romanian polenta (mamaliga) made with garlic and cinnamon; a basil marinated zucchini dish, and Pesach Spanekopita. Several breads are described, including a honey VANILLA challah, Passover rolls, onion rolls, matzo muffins, and Bukharan steamed buns with cilantro and chives. A Sephardic style scrambled eggs with garlic, paprika, cumin and bell peppers (strapatsata or Tunisian chakchouka) is a standout. In terms of meats, recipes include low fat Israeli spiced turkey cutlets, chicken cutlets with a mushroom stuffing, Syrian style Chicken with eggplant (a new Shepherds Pie); a sweet and sour turkey stuffed cabbage roll; holiday brisket with raisins, grape wine, prunes, and apricots; a Napa Valley style brisket; lamb tagine, and a Three-B's cholent. Five kugel recipes include a carrot apple kugel, and a zucchini kugel. Desserts include zvingous, or Greek Hanukkah fritters that are baked. They became a sensation after being mentioned in 1999 in a NYT Hanukkah recipe. A strudel recipe includes a Greek-Sephardic Pumpkin strudel that is usually eaten at Sukkot (Rodanchas de la Calabaza). Finally, let me add a word on Greg Schneider's photography... great. His picture of assorted low fat blintzes lying atop Hebrew newspapers, corralled by a set of tefillin is worthy of individual sale as a lithograph.

Once again noted cookbook author, Steve Raichlen has hit a homerun. His adaptations of time honored Jewish comfort foods to suit the modern , healthy life style is phenomonal. Cabbage soup is as good as my bubbe's and it is completely vegetarion. From blintzes to borscht; from chopped liver to chicken fricasse, Raichlen runs the gamut of Jewish cooking perfectly. Add the personal touches of wonderful stories of family feasts, the cookbook is a key to opening the vast storehouse of long held memories that we all share. A must for etnic cooks everywhere.

loved it. mind opening. and very insightful as veiwing the heart of learning in a school setting...

This is an incredible book; a unique approach to integrating spirituality and education that includes writing from the Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, academic, feminist, environmental and scientific perspective. I highly recommend its use in college philosophy and education classes, as a thought-provoking selection for book clubs, and as important reading material for concerned parents and teachers. I highly recommend it.

If just one teacher in every classroom bought this book and began to present the ideas of love and respect, autonomy and trust in the classroom (each and every classroom in the U.S.) the questions on the news would be answered.

Many of the problems in education seem to stem from alienation of individuals in the classrooms of America. Children are forced to feel apart from the class rather than being an integral part of the class and their own individual creative learning experience. The Naropa Conference was clear and honest in the formation of the new class curriculum. Respect for each and every student. Love as the main ingredient of the daily interactions.

If just that one (as in every one) teacher, bought the book...could undedrstand the message, and would apply it to his or her life, alienation and pressure to perform would be relics of an antiquated system destined to doom and failure. Children would begin to become the bright radiant suns of learning and personal growth rather than the reflecting moons of past educational process.

Highly recommend. A must for every person involved with children, from preschool through 100.

This beautiful international book is where I found my dissertation. Learn something new in the service of children.

Winner of the Pinnacle Book Award, A Heart Traced In Sand: Reflections On A Daughter's Struggle For Life by Steven Boone is a personal memoir and candid reflection of a father's love for his daughter. This is the story of Steven's Boone's teenage daughter Naomi in the last two years of her young life which would prematurely end from cancer. Touching and heartfelt in his faith in God's care and as a living testimony to the human spirit, Steven Boone's A Heart Traced in Sand is emotionally moving in its shared revelation, and is especially recommended reading for anyone having to deal with chemotherapy and faith within lives of themselves, their families, and their friends.

A Heart Traced in Sand is a personnal and intimate account of a father's unconditional love for his daughter and their journey together through the valley of the shadow of death.
Author Steven Boone pulls out his artist's palette and paints an amazing landscape of hard choices, heart breaking emotion, hope, fear, courage, faith and transcendence.
This book, about the loss of a daughter in the bud of her young life, carries with it an uncanny strength. The reader turns the last page feeling honored to have been privy to such intimacy and caring in this important experience of transition. This book is more than a story about loss and grieving, it is a gift of the cherishing of LIFE itself!

Prepare to have a piece of your heart taken and broken open as you travel with a father, Steven, and his daughter, Naomi, on her journey to the next life. A beautiful, compelling composition of human emotions as viewed through the eyes of a loving parent and spiritually- directed artist. Poignantly translated into words which will penetrate your heart and soul. You will own a piece of Naomi's spirit and energy after you read her story of courage and faith. Her time on this earth was short, but her message of love lives eternally.

A touching reflection of a father's love and courage for his precious daughter. This story of endless faith and hope will definitely pull at your heart strings. Naomi is truly an inspiration to all. She loved and lived life to the fullest with a remarkable outlook. I couldn't stop reading....