Warner Books

Considering I paid over $15 for the sequel, and would hardly have done that for ANY book. This is a series that is begging to be finished, but not only that, would make the current movie fare blush were it to make the big screen. Incredible work and in a class all by itself. Mr. Perry.

A friend loaned me these a long time ago. I had forgotten the title, until a bit of isfdb query writing and some browsing taking a guess at the year found it again. Awesome, over the top super powered fantasy action. If you like the girly David Eddings heroes are more scared of the shrewish tongues of their girlfriends than the Dark Demon Lord, than this is very likely not for you.

It is dangerous to be a good guy. Very dangerous. Demon Lords (and Lordesses) are BAAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD.

Based around Celtic mythology I highly recommend these two books as a blast. A pity he never finished the series, maybe one day?

Fast paced with twists and turns. This is a terrific fantasy book and the sequel to Desecration. The only problem is that the series will never be finished. Mr. Perry went on to other things after the books did not do well enough for the publisher to continue. It would be nice to have completion, but their are not enough fans to warrant it.

Just a quick call to Mr. Perry to please finish this absolutely amazing series. I have been reading sci-fi/fantasy for about 25 years now, and would be hard pressed to come up with a title that surpasses the Morigu series. So if you ever read this stuff Mr. Perry, i am sure i am not alone in praying that we get to finish your great fantasy series.

Very good story hope to read more some day.
Every time i come across these on my shelf it is hard to not pick them up. Hope you can get the next books out soon! :)

I thought the premise of this book seemed a bit silly but decided to try it based on the exceptionally good reviews. I hereby thank the previous reviewers! I also thank Jack Warner for such an outstanding and original thriller--I think I'll remember this one for a long time.

I did not think I would like a book about a tiger loose in Georgia. Boy, was I wrong. This story sucks you in and you want to keep reading.

A year or so ago the SciFi Channel made a pathetic movie that was obviously based on this book. But as bad as the movie was, the book is great.

I would advise anyone who likes high suspense and action to read this book.

The people in Jack Warner's book are not only believable, but something even more exciting; they are southern characters not steeped in stereotype. The sheriff is skillful, astute and unpretentious. The people have an identifiable heritage without being all that different from myself and my neighbors.

Each development is unpredictable at the same time it feels inevitable in the flow of the story. An author who weaves a wonderful tale at the same time he seems to point out that this age of information more than ever needs an awareness of and respect for wisdom. Such an unusually discerning novel is amazingly not ponderous but as quietly powerful as the animal it introduces to us.

This book had it all: originality, great characters and a thrilling plotline. I couldn't put it down! A great book to take to the beach this summer(although I'm not sure I'd bring it camping).

Jack Warner is a master storyteller.

I've been privileged to enjoy Warner's work for more than 20 years, from his days as a wire-service deskman to newspaper reporter to his station in life now as a novelist. He is one of the finest writers I've encountered. He doesn't waste words or mince them; he can tell you more in two sentences than most writers can in 20. His writing is elegant and illuminating and never flabby. He is effusively efficient.

After only a few pages of "Shikar" you will feel the man-eating tiger's yellow, glowing eyes stalking you. You will also feel a strong reluctance to put the book down. You might also never look at a walk in the woods the same way again.

This is a heart-stopping thriller but also a sweet story about a noble old man and an innocent young boy with more in common than one might imagine. These are characters with hearts and souls.

My wish is that Jack Warner writes faster. I can't wait for his next book.

Dr Robert Ballard will forever remain the man who found the Titanic. In so doing, he became the world's most famous ocean explorer who found the world's most famous ship.

It is not for me to inform readers of the story of the Titanic. Almost everyone grew up knowing something about that ship - even if the finer points of information they thought they knew were inaccurate.

Having then achieved the outstanding feat of finding this elusive shipwreck, Bob Ballard has put together the most complete - and yet again "outstanding," tale of search, discovery and finally success, coupled with an accurate portrayal of the life and death of the ship itself. All the facts and historic photographs are there - and, speaking as a professional shipwreck historian, he really has done the most thorough job of work here.

Finally, he has put together the most (and I deliberately use that word again) "outstanding" collection of artwork created by Ken Marschall. I may be wrong, but it seems to me nobody had heard of this artist until the first editions of this book appeared - now he is a household name amongst those in the know.

From thousands of photographic images taken far below the surface, Bob Ballard created montage after montage of the various sections and profiles of the wreck (i.e. big photographs made up of thousands of little photographs) so that Mr Marschall was able to provide us with paintings which look like single colour photographs of this and that section which go together to make up the entire wreck.

I congratulate Dr Ballard on an excellent and professional job of work. Altogether, the most outstanding book for which 5 stars are not enough.

NM

This book describes the discovery of the Titanic in a perfect way. Besides telling the sad story of her maiden voyage, that ended so tragically, Dr. Ballard describes his own struggle to complete his long time wish to find Titanic. He talks about troubles raising funds, the tragedy of almost losing the discovery to another expedition and the very exhaustive and mostly boring search. But also about the joy of finally finding the wreck and his emotions during all of this. All this is told from a integer point of view, also crediting the other people for their part in the discovery. The book includes many photographs and two nice full-color foldouts of the wreck. This new edition also includes a chapter in which Dr. Ballard comments on more recent visits, conducted by others, to the Titanic and his views on the (commercial) salvaging of Titanic wreckage.

The ever interesting Titanic lives on.

The best part about this book is almost being there with Ballard as this great ship is seen again by human eyes for the very first time in many decades. And of course the great images (both the actual pictures and the illustrations of how the parts of the wreck are situated on the bottom) that this book contains.

Very worth while if great historic event in general and the Titanic in particular are among your interests.

This is a sensational book.I have read this one quite a bit.
I love the bit where they find the boiler on the bottom of the ocean.
It talks about the trials they went through trying to find the elusive Titanic.Nobody had seen that ship since it sunk in 1912.
I have always loved reading about that ship,something about the whole story has fascinated me.
I think the era it all happened in,as well as the beauty of the ship itself.It certainly had a mystique of its own.
To look at the pictures of the ship how it has deteriorated over time is very ghostly.To see objects such as dolls heads and boots realy shows you the tragedy that once happened on a very cold night.
The stupidity to push the ship full speed through an iceberg field maked the mind boggle.Playing dice with all those lives,and to top it all off the lack of life boats on board.
Dr.Robert D. Ballard became a legend himself after the discovery of the most famous ship to ever hit the waves.

I bought this book soon after the hype brought on by the film. I have always been a history fan. The stories surrounding the fate of the Titanic have always intrigued me.

I knew of Ballard from previous expeditions that he had done. I have seen his work on The Discovery Channel and The Learning Channel.

This book is well thought out. From the search in the early days to the actual discovery and exploration. It's amazing how Ballard was able to stick with it over the years and the difficult times.

The book is written more as a story than as a text book. Plenty of history. The underwater photos are magnificent. I read the book and just wonder at all the problems that they had to overcome. The setbacks. The failures. It's all here in an easy to read and follow book.

If you are at all interested in the Titanic and it's discovery, this is a good book to read.

I purchased the earlier version in 1991 after I gained the "Freshman 15+" and my doctor recommended it. I followed it exactly for one month and dropped all the weight+. My workout consisted of jumping/dancing around my dorm room for 20 minutes while listening to the Footloose soundtrack! This was awesome and I never gained it back! I think it is also great for reminding you what a healthy meal and healthy portions look like in our supersize world. Good luck meeting the new you!!!

This diet works wonders. I went on it after having each of my children. In 1997 I lost 40 lbs in two months. In 1998, I lost 47 lbs in two and a half months. The meals are extremely simple, and if you need to substitute you can just swap one day for another. I felt like I was really hungry for the first week, but I definitely felt great. The dinner makes you full. Every doctor (the last one was a midwife) I have asked if I could go on this while breastfeeding has said absolutely. I did increase the diet by having three extra glasses of milk per day, because I was breastfeeding and still had great results. My husband did this diet, but went off of it too early and gained all of his weight back. He lost so much more than I did, the same amount in half the time it took me. (of course he was in his early thirties). I think if he would have just kept to the diet he would have the same results I have, not gaining it all back. If your looking for some fad diet that is going to make it easy, there is not one. Losing weight takes self control and determination. If you do not want to actually lose the weight, this book is not for you. If you do, its going to take work the first week, at least. If your faithful to this the weight is coming off and you will feel wonderful.

I have struggled with weightloss for years, and lacked the discipline to accomplish it. This book makes it soooooo easy, all you do is follow the meal plans. I lost 35 lbs. and feel great.....

The beauty of this book and plan is how quickly you see results. Sure, you're pretty hungry while you get used to the reduction in calories, but it's easy to manage since you know you'll be eating soon anyway (you eat 5 times a day). The walks are something you'll need to be very disciplined with, but once you get results, you won't want to skip a walk!

The menus can get a little overwhelming, so what I did was I made a list of the breakfasts, lunches and dinners that appealed to me, and were simple - and posted them on the fridge. I often ended up eating a lot of the same stuff day after day, but that made it easier for me to go grocery shopping and prepare foods for the day. I needed convenience.

The best thing of all is I feel this diet has permanentely affected my metabolism! I did this diet for about a month or two, lost about 12 lbs in the first week and 20 lbs total and have been able to keep it off for nearly a year. I haven't remained that active and often eat a lot, so it was a pleasant surprise. If I ever need to shed some weight (and quickly!) in the future, this is the book I will reach for, no doubt.

16 years ago as I prepared for my wedding, I was faced with losing 70 lbs. I had put that weight on in college and thanks to just bad eating habits (eating late at night, eating the wrong foods, beer, etc).

My mother gave me this book because a friend of hers had read it and used it to lose weight. With nothing to lose (except fat), I decided to give it my all. Well, within a year, I had lost that 70 lbs and looked great for my wedding. I ate well exercized and changed my behaviors.

I kept that weight off for over 12 years, and only recently, thanks to my slowing metabolism, have gained weight back. And you know what, I am buying this book again and starting over. This book makes buying food simple (and the food won't put you in the poor house) and makes doing what you need to simple, in order to jump start your metabolism to lose weight.

I intend to lose 50 lbs and keep it off!

Good luck to you!

Through Michael McClay, we can have a wonder picture of one of the best shows on TV. Through MANY pictures (a lot in color) and words, we can learn how these four greatly made this show: I Love Lucy. The book takes you through all of their lives before, during and after the show. Three parts are in this facinating book; one is about the show. And the other two are thirty-five of the classic episodes (some of which were chosen by Lucille Ball herself!!); and the last section is ALL 179 episodes in order that they went on air.

The book is definitly five stars and you cannot read this book once. It is great to just look at and you can learn so much about Luciile Ball, Desi Arnaz and Vivian Vance and William Frawley. So get yourself this I Love Lucy treasure TODAY!!!!

Who doesn't LOVE Lucy? This book is THE definitive guide for all us die-hard, lifelong, Lucy fans. It is chock full of facts, anecdotes, black and white and colour photos, etc. By far, the most comprehensive book on the series I have ever read. Introduced by daughter, Lucie Arnaz, we are taken down memory lane and even allowed BACKSTAGE where we get glimpses of the REAL life Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz. Strictly for the fans, who will understand and appreciate the attention to detail here.

Very Good Book... Great Collectors Item.

AMAZING!! This is one of the best books written about "I Love Lucy." Michael McClay certainly knew what he was doing when he gave us this great book on the best show in picture history. Through many pictures (many in color) and words, McClay is able to tell you ALL about "I Love Lucy" and the great people that made it so great. He tells not only about the people at the time of the show, but gives, not much but accurate, information about the four wonderful people that made the show so successful before and after the shows were made. He gives you thirty-five classic episodes that are the hits in the "I Love Lucy" shows. And also a TV-ography of the 179 "I Love Lucy" shows in the order that they went on the air. And the "I Love Lucy" Theme Song music given at the beginning of the three parts that are in this book has been played many times on my piano.

This is truely the best book there is on the show "I Love Lucy" (but no "I Love Lucy" book can beat Lucille Ball's book "Love, Lucy;" it covers her whole life as well as the "I Love Lucy" shows.Get that one too because both are both greatly recommended). Some books don't give very much or very accurate information on this show. But this one gives you all of the information, accurately, about the show.

I greatly encoutrage you top get this book especially if you are a Lucy fan (and if you are not, reading this book will give you a great start). You will NOT be disappionted. You will have too much trouble putting it down that when you finish it, you will want to read it again--you will never get tired of it. Get yours TODAY and you WILL enjoy!

This beautiful book introduced me to the world of "I Love Lucy" literature, and I must say I got off on the right foot! The photographs are beautiful, and the text is surprisingly thorough for a "picture history". This would make an enjoyable addition to anyone's Lucy collection (it's also a great place to start!).

I simply adored every detail of _Two Truths and a Lie_. How rare for a popular-fiction mystery novel to have true character development *and* a plot! I'm one of those who always figures out the who-done-it way too early and finds little reason to finish the book (except to skim the important bits to see that I'm right). This time, I didn't want to miss a word all the way to the end. Dair, Peyton, and their friends, family and animals were real down to the last detail. Anyone who has ever struggled with an addiction (or loved someone who has) must read this book. Also a must for understanding compulsive lying.

I've never read another book which combines two subjects so well. Another author might have written a murder mystery without the caracter depth of this novel, or a relationship oriented story without the suspense that grabs the reader. This novel is definately on my top 10 favorite list. Of course this may just be the absinthe talking, but I can't wait for Kittle's next masterpiece.

Dair Canard has problems, big ones. A compulsive liar with a drinking problem, she has a husband that seems to have something to hide, parents who have separated, and a close friend whose recent and suspicious death was bizarre to say the least. Dair's life is definately spiraling out of control, and her lifetime of lying is starting to take it's toll.
This is a well written page turner with just enough twists to keep the reader guessing. My only criticism would be that I found the "animal telepathy" angle a little difficult to swallow. Even an animal lover such as myself grew tired of the endless references to the character's pets. That said, this is still a enjoyable, albeit unusual mystery novel worth reading.

It is scary how real these characters were. As a matter of fact there were times that I had to put the book down and walk away from it because I felt such a strong connection with them. I say bravo a job well done and a toast to a book that is the finest I've read in years. If you only read one book this year pick this one up you won't feel sorry. The narrative is beautiful, the characters are life like, and even the animals have a personality of their own. There is not a single place where the book falters or gets drab. It will grab you and won't let go until the very last word.

"Dair was a habitual liar. Not pathological or anything, just...recreational." Thus begins this story about lies, deception, and what happens when the truth is sometimes less believable than the lies we tell. Let's face it we've all been guilty of telling "little white lies". Stories we enhance, niceties we introduce to spare someone's feelings, the occasional all out fib. Whether we like it or not, lying is part of human nature.

And it is with this introspective into someone who has spent her entire life telling little (and sometimes not so little) lies that begins our story. We meet Dair, on the way to pick up her husband Peyton from the airport, plotting the lie she'll tell him to explain why she is late. It is the accident, or apparent suicide she witnesses on the way, which truly does make her late, and turns out to be stranger than any fiction she could have concocted.

From here a web of lies, not only Dair's, but also everyone else's, begins to spin out of control. We meet Peyton, her husband, who has his own demons to contend with, we learn more about the reasons behind Dair's "habit" of stretching the truth. We meet Dair's mother, with her unusual talent of communicating with animals. We learn the identity of the alleged "suicide" victim, and his relation to all the players in this book. And we open up a whole lot of questions in the process.

I really enjoyed this book. I wasn't sure what to expect from it, not even having a clue what the story was about (it was sent to me by a friend), and so was glad to discover that it was full of twists and turns and surprises. The characters were very real, and easy to identify with. The author creates a world not unlike the world her reader's live in, and therefore, these characters could be our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers. Their secrets and their lies, possibly making them people we don't truly know. The relationships between the characters were realistic, deep, captivating, and I could identify with Dair, I felt for Peyton, I adored the cranky upstairs neighbor, Mr. Lively. But it was the "secondary characters" in this story, the animals, which really tied it all together for me. Katrina Kittle did a wonderful job of making the pets as much a "cast of characters" in this novel as the humans. Shoddan and Blizzard, Peyton and Dair's dogs, with their huge personalities, Captain Hook, Mr. Lively's parrot, with his extended vocabulary, Dair's Chickadee, they were vital to this story, and added a nice twist to the mystery and the drama.

For me, this book had it all, great character development, wonderful storytelling, mystery, humor, a bit of sadness, fantasy and realism. A+

This is one of the most enlightening books I have ever read. Robert Brown is such a loving, compassionate guide to the spirit world. I have had a personal reading with Mr. Brown and he brings word from your loved ones with such emotion, you will get teary eyed. This book gives you an insight to his natural gift and a background on the man himself. I highly recommend it!!!

Easy to read, genuine, covers everything to get one started on the spiritual journey. A totally honest and 'wishing to help' feel about it.
Couldn't put it down.

The author offers interesting perspective to our eternal soul, and some of the passages in the Bible - especially about Jesus. He does contradict his position about Mediums and "cold readings" at certain points in the book, but all-in-all this is a good book - worth the price.

My husband and I lost our 20 year old son, Nathan. Our grief was intolerable.We had so many questions; where did he go, does he still exist in another place, who is with him, helping him? The day after his memorial service, we found ourselves in a book store looking for answers. We both at different times picked up the book, "We are Eternal". We thought this was a sign for sure that we were to read it.
While reading the book, We were able to find strength in knowing that he still existed, that this was not the end for him but rather a new beginning. My husband, who rarely ever reads, read it at least 20 times. We became stabalized and when we fell pray to our grief, we read it again and found strength. This book got us through and continues to get us through the toughest times of our lives.
We will never see death the same way again. It has forever changed our understanding of who we are and what we are here for.

I'm giving this book five stars because I think that unlike Beatrice Eadie and Sylvia Browne, this author is on the level and actually gets communication from the people we consider dead. Beatrice went much too heavy on Jesus Christ, who is, after all, just a man, and Sylvia is, I believe, someone who makes it up as she goes along and sometimes contradicts what she has previously written. I don't believe a word she writes. So when I come across "the real thing" I have to give it five stars.

The subtitle of this book is "What the spirits tell me about life after death". The problem is that this book does not live up to that promise. It tells next to nothing about life after death. For that, your best bet is Journey of Souls by Michael Newton, the very best book ever written on the subject, taken as a unit with his second book Destiny of Souls. Newton's third book doesn't add much and focuses on less interesting matters.

What did I learn here about life after death? I forgot. Not much. Warning bells started going off early, when the author was simply too chatty, taking too much time to tell us his early adventures in mediumship, making us wait too long for some information of substance. Whenever an author does that, you can reasonably suspect that he isn't going to tell us much.

Give me a minute to remember ONE THING that I learned from this book about life after death. He said that we fall into four different basic types - teachers, healers, warriors, and philosophers. I'd be a teacher. I am always shooting off my mouth about things. Communication is a mania with me, which is why I write so many Amazon reviews. Also, I can take a kid who is failing high school math and turn him into an A student in one or two lessons because I have a gift for teaching, by determining what the person already knows, and building on that, rather than by following my own agenda and hoping he gets it.

I can see myself spending a lot of time with the Akashic records, viewing Napoleon's battles, seeing history develop from a bird's eye view, that sort of thing. I'm always reading books now, in this stupid life. Imagine how much I'll be "reading" back home, when the "books" are what we call reality.

I wish this book lived up to its subtitle and told us much more about what our lives are like when we leave this life. I have so many questions. None of them are answered here.

The Dixie Association is a perfect book. It is hilarious, wise, profound, and unbelievably beautifully written. It should not be subtitled "Voices of the South". It is THE voice of the South, perfectly captured on paper. Donald Hays has perfect pitch for Southern language, on the street and in the locker room. The basdeball portions are true, interesting and exciting. The picture of the last game remains one of the great descriptions of an epic encounter in sports. There are more great characters than you can count. I read it in the 80s when it was published and probably bought a dozen copies before I was through giving it to people who I thought needed it. And finally, I simply loved the book so much that I tracked down the author and called him to tell him directly how much I was moved, and touched, and thrilled by it. I am about to launch into another buying and giving spree with this new edition.

The Dixie Association was a well written and thought out novel, written by an author who knew how to grab his audiences attention. A baseball team full of rejects that noone wanted around and did not have any respect for, but they knew the game of baseball and that is what they all loved and it is all that mattered to them. Donald Hays writes the book through an ex-convicts eyes. With the rudeness, foul language, and racists remarks the author offends everyone. In all I really liked the novel and give it a thumbs up, cause I could actually read the book without dreaading it.

I thought the book was very well written. The author showed a great deal of knowledge in the sport of baseball. The characters were interesting and fun to read about. I enjoyed reading about the games and the way it was portrayed through the eyes of an actual ballplayer.This book is defenitly one of the best baseball books ever written, not only because of its portral of the game, but because of the conflicts its characters deal with off the field as well.

The Dixie Association which is about a team of outsiders who come together and create a chemistry that is unforgettable. The book details a season throught the eyes of Hog Durham, a ex-convict. His blunt, yet persuasive analysis of baseball is intriging and also repulsive by way of his language. Though repulsive, the language is manageable by way of being able to identify with Hog Durham and the times in which the story takes place.
The manager named Lefty Marks is the one who provides the best of the book. His unconvential wisdom of life and baseball are a view in which is not used enough because it is seen as American political taboo. He provides a refreshing and heartful determination to do the things in which make him feel successful, without money standing in the way. Some may view him as throwing away his life while most who understand his points will respect and appreciate his unconventional wisdom.
The Dixie Association while harsh on racial sensitivity is a joyous read that almost anyone can read. The story is simple but the characters are full of explosive personalities that protect a weak story. This is by far the most entertaining baseball book ever written.

This was one of the most entertaining books I have ever read. Although the story is played out in a baseball environment, you really don't have to be a baseball fanatic or even a sports fan to get caught up in the drama and exicetment of this novel. The main characters are all well depicted and they each have conflicts they must resolve both on the baseball field and in society. There is a quagmire of underlying themes, and you can't help but become intrigued with at least one aspect of this story.

I will never understand why June continues to rave about how she dated Elvis and still write books about him. That was way back in 1955!
Elvis married his soulmate Priscilla Presley.
June married and went on with her life to have two children. She has a 22 year old grandson.
She also has two precious granddaughters of whom she has nothing to do with and does not talk to, their ages are 16 and 11.
It's uncouth how June continues to use the Elvis name to make money.

I loved this book, although it broke my heart to think of what happened to the sweet, caring, fun-loving young boy later in life. June is so "real", I felt I would love to have been one of her friends. I also purchased the DVD "Elvis and June" and once again after seeing June on the DVD thought she was a really fun, strong woman. It was indeed a special time for Elvis and June and she shares her memories freely. The end of their love story was so sad, I wished there had been a way to "rewrite" history to make them both as happy as they had been that wonderful summer. Highly recommended.

This book was very enjoyable to read. It gives lots of insight to Elvis and what he was like when he was just starting out in the music business. Decisions that were made and promises broken but such a great story. Any Elvis fan would enjoy reading this story.

I did love this book. I only wish the book didn't end. At the end I was wanting more!

A very good experience. I received the product in a timely manner and did not incur any problems.

I have made many recipes from this book successfully. The Mousse A Chocolat is everyone's favorite and requested over and over again. Texas fruitcake excellent! This is a great book!

RE: I recommend that readers disregard Very Disappointed's negative review of _Maida Heatter's Book of Great Desserts_. "Very" claims that the "Palm Beach Brownies" recipe failed. There is no such recipe in the book! In fact, there is no brownie recipe with macadamia nuts in this book! Moreover, there is no such recipe in _Maida Heatter's Book of Great American Desserts_, nor in _Maida Heatter's Best Dessert Book Ever_.

I am not a dessert cook--just a dessert eater--but my wife has cooked from the book under review for nearly 30 years and she raves about it. I can attest to the reliability and very quality of the results, due in no small part to my wife's religious devotion to the precise details of Heatter's instructions.

Here is what Maida Heatter writes in her Introduction:

"I have cooked and tested every one of the recipes in this book over and over so that they are worked out perfectly. But in order for these recipes to work for you as they do for me, it is of utmost importance that you follow every direction exactly" (xi).

These desserts are beyond good--they are perfect. Your family and your guests will be knocked over. Many recipes have become family classics that get passed around again and again.

Recommended most highly and without reservation.

I dream about two of the recipes from this book they are so good: Palm Beach Brownies and Raspberry-Strawberry Bavarian. I've made them over and over again, always with great success; it is amazing how people swoon over them. When I'm looking for a dessert recipe (as opposed to, say, wanting to bake a cake) this is the first (and usually only) book that I turn to. Ms. Heatter writes with such joy throughout this work that her pleasure is quite contagious. Highly recommended!

I've been cooking from various Maida Heatter books for 25 years now, and though I have quite a few other cookbooks, none come close to the level of her 5 cookbooks (plus 3 compilation books of the same recipes).

There's no point in my picking out a few great recipes in this book - you will like them all.

I have made perhaps 50% of the recipes in all her books, some a few times, some very many times. In those thousands of desserts, all but a couple were wonderful. Some dessert recipes are designed to just look good - but Maida's desserts ALWAYS taste great. Some are fancier than the others, and (particularly in her later dessert books) some take quite a bit of time to create - choose the recipe for the occasion.

This is her first cookbook and if you read it carefully she will teach you how to do everything you need. Read the introduction, get the right equipment/pans and get the right ingredients. Follow the instructions too! She is the first to point out that if you use margine instead of butter, or this instead of that, then the recipe may not work. Just do everything exactly as she says and you will be rewarded with a success EVERY time.

With very few exceptions, the ingredients needed to make her recipes are widely available. You may choose to buy the best chocolate if you like (and I try to do so), but the desserts are great regardless. She has a few flourless recipes using ground almonds, but I've not been successful in grinding my own and can't seem to buy it locally.

Without a doubt the best dessert cookbook author ever!

Comparing to James McNair's recipes this book just does not cut the mustard, so to speak. It was not as userfriendly as other recipe books that I have found, such as the Neiman Marcus cookbook. But then again, for those who have followed Ms. Heatter for years may indeed like this book.