Asia Books

I got this book a few years ago after trying some beef and pork on skewers from a local Korean place. At the time I knew very little about Asian food preparation, and the book helped quite a bit:

The book begins with a glossary of basic terms and ingredients used in Asian kitchens, and also a rundown of grilling techniques, then proceeds to a series of ready meals (main grilled dish offered with one or two side dishes that are a traditional complement to the meal).

The sauces and marinades are easy to prepare and the flavors are bold and very fresh. The book utilized fresh vegetables and fruit in side dishes and salads that are amazing with the marinated and grilled meats and make a gorgeous presentation.

Furthermore, as I have discovered in the years of using the book, the recipes are also flexible and open to improvisation-resulting in possibly less authentic, but still wonderful and fun party food that can be prepared on a small tabletop hibachi grill right in front of your guests (you'll have to do prep work and make side dishes in advance, but grilling the meat and fish in front of guests has been a great way to bring a party together in my experience).

Overall, I found no fault with this book at all even from a beginner's (at the time) point of view-but the recipes are interesting enough for the more experienced chefs as well.

I also recommend "A Flash in the Pan: 100 Fast and Furious Recipes for Wok and Stir-Fry" by Liz Trigg and Shirley Gill for wonderful wok and stir-fry recipes for those beginner cooks who want to learn more about Asian food than just grilling.

If you are bored with steak, hamburger and chicken on the charcoal grill, here are recipes for Bulgogi (Korean Fire Beef), Salmon in Miso Glaze, and many skewered chicken and shrimp dishes that are easy to make, but certainly a different take on grilling. There are a lot of marinades that could be adapted to other items--you can miso-glaze chicken breast, or make flank steak in a number of flavorings. Good little book if you are bored with grilling or want fancy skewered recipes for a party.

This little book transports Asian flavors and textures simply to the Western reader without compromising flavor and integrity. I've tried three recipes from this book and they are very, very good. I plan to try several others but first have to replace the book. I took it to work and ended up giving it away. This book is a MUST HAVE for anyone who loves grilling and Asian flavors.

Accurate description of the item and swift notice and delivery

Professor Haley has edited an excellent compilation of chapters on Asian business -- I thought the chapters on China, its business environments, problems and opportunities, and industrial restructuring were particularly useful. A valuable addition to the genre.

Very good review of the major Asian economies and business concerns in these regions. Especially useful as businesses enter China after its WTO entry and ponder new relationships with post-crisis SE Asia.

I have used over 20 recipes from Greeley's book and have not been disappointed in any one of them. I have given two dinner parties (each with about 12 people) and used only recipes from this book.Results were outstanding. Every guest asked for recipes, or decided to buy their own copy of the book. My husband's particular favourite is the Yellow chicken curry.

What I really liked about this book is all the information. The author covers a lot of Asian countries, and she writes about the differences in styles and common ingredients between them. She also discusses the ingredients - what they are, what the flavors are, and including a discussion of the many types of rice. The recipes are nicely organized, and easy to follow. I've used a few of the recipes, and one is now a favorite.

We love soups. They reheat well after a long day at the office and they are soothing to the throat, very filling but lighter fare. It suits us for an evening meal when we really don't want something heavy but do want something hot. Since we've traveled extensively in Asia and love the cuisine, this book was one we just had to try. I am glad to report that "Asian Soups, Stews and Curries" is a wonderful book for the Asian cuisine lover.

The first recipe we tried was Kalbi Tang, Korean Short Rib Soup. This is a famous Korean dish, almost as famous as Bulgogi and Kimchee. The instructions were interesting; in order to achieve the beautiful clear broth in which the meat and onions float, you must soak the ribs overnight, or boil them and discard that water to remove the scum (which is the albumin and meat bits that coagulate when you boil meat.) I followed this direction, and the other stipulation to remove ALL visible fat from the ribs. After then making the stock and refrigerating the soup overnight to remove the rest of the fat, I made the ginger, sesame and soy sauce-based seasoning that flavors the soup. Wow! What a taste--rich, yet with a clear, flavorful broth. This was an enormous hit at our house.

After watching my husband practically stick his whole head into the Korean soup pot, I decided there must be more good stuff in here. The next one we want to try is Cambodian Fish Soup with Pineapple and Tomatoes--pineapple is surprisingly good in curry type clear soups.

Just about everything is in here from Japanese Chanko-nabe (Sumo Wrestler's fatten-up stew) to Mulligatawny. There are quite a few lentil based curries (nice, we love lentils), noodle soups, meat soups, fish, vegetable and rice soups and stews. This is a fascinating book and one with some very nice and unusual recipes, good for light evening one-pot meals or fancy entertaining or pot-luck. This is fast becoming one of my favorite cookbooks.

For those of us in the peace movement, this highly educational and important account of the U.S. invasion and occupation of Vietnam should be required reading as it vividly exposes the brutal methods the U.S. ruling-class will employ to crush progressive movements for national liberation and economic democracy in the global south. As always, Noam Chomsky provides illuminating political analysis of U.S. foreign policy and global capitalism. Also, because this book incorporates reflections from his own extensive travels throughout the region, it has the added bonus of being extremely readable and fast-paced. Read this book not only to understand our shameful past, but to better understand our present situation in Iraq and elsewhere.

I received this book by being a friend of AK Press (something everyone who is interested in these types of books should look into). Even though Chomsky, who is incredibly accessible this time around, is writing about what occured in Vietnam, the parallels to today's Iraq situation are amazing.

As always, Chomsky's work makes you think and reasses what you think you know. War time strategies are dissected, and national policy is put under a microscope. Indochina, which Chomsky points out is merely an extension of what America has been doing since its formation, was a hotbed of experimental warfare, both in technique and technology. Compare that to Iraq today, and you get the same picture.

If you care about the world situation, you need to read this book. And if you enjoy it, think about becoming a friend of AK Press.

If you are familiar with the ideas of Noam Chomsky, this book will come as no surprise to you. He puts forth essentially the same arguments that he did in his earlier offering, _American Power and the New Mandarins_. Chomsky writes about the war in Asia by talking about U.S. action in various southeast Asian countries and the resistence that springs up against it. The most interesting essays are the ones about Laos and North Vietnam because these writings have emerged from Chomsky's own trip to the region. He is essentially reporting on what he saw during his time on the ground. These chapters are the most convincing in the book because of this aspect, and they are the element that makes this book worth buying. I'm not sure under what circumstances Chomsky was able to travel to these war zones, but his record of the trip is filled with empathy and heartbreak. He is a polemicist at the top of his game, giving what appears to be a fairly honest account of what he saw. I found the book to be enlightening and powerful. Another good offering from one of the harshest critics of U.S. foreign policy.

This is the best anthology of Filipino writing I've seen so far. The editors Tabios and Carbo deserve medals for bringing us such rich, diverse, exciting women poets & writers. I love Jessica Zafra's story, I was gripped by Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo's stunning story, I was overwhelmed by all the fantastic poetry, especially "Marcelina" by Jean V. Gier. All women will understand the stories these Filipinas have to tell. Highly recommended!

Finally, after a hundred years of neglect, Filipina women have this book where their own voices can be heard. The stories are poignant and laden with sensuous sentences. The poems brim with profound beauty. There are recognizable Filipina authors like Jessica Hagedorn, Evelina Galang, and Linda Ty-Casper but there is also a fair representation of younger talent like Lara Stapleton and Gina Apostol. Such a treasure trove of familiar elegant voices and new vigorous word-smiths from the Philippines as well as Filipina-Americans.

I am so happy to see this collection of Filipina (!) writers. Way to go! Now it's time to see these individual writers produce their own books so that we will have more to show the world. It is very encouraging to know that there are many writers of Filipino background out there. Get busy! I highly recommend this collection to those of you who simply love to read.

I first visited The City of Light in the fall of '89. When I returned for six month stays in both 1999 and 2006 I had Diana Eck's book with me; it made a rich experience even richer. As Eck writes, Kashi is not of this world, and her book - now well-dogearred - made my explorations more focused and deeply understood.

Diane Eck has written the most readable and spiritual book on the city where Hindus make pilgrimage to bathe in the Ganges and to take their last breath in this lifetime. The book includes good maps of the bathing ghats and detailed information of this ancient city of temples devoted to Shiva and other Gods and Goddesses. I have been to Banaras and walked those crooked streets and Eck's book places me right back in that sacred place.

This book takes one on a breathtaking Odyssey through the sacred landscape of the world's oldest and most sacred city: Lord Siva's eternal abode. Eck's approach is sensitive and captivating, her scholarship is impressive, and the result of her labour has been a preciously insightful and informative book. Anyone seeking God owes it to himself to learn about the Holy City of Kashi, where death is transformed into divine liberation, and reading this book is an excellent way to get started. As both a Saiva and a scholar, I highly recommend it!

This was the first time that I have read Basho's Narrow Road to Oku, snd I enjoyed it a great deal. Actually I read it twice this week. The first time I read through it I tried to read it without using the notes. I was lazy, so it came out that I really didn't enjoy what I was reading because I really didn't know what was going on throughout most of the book, so I read it again using the notes, and I got much more out of it. The annotations are on the left page while the actual text is on the right page, so there is no flipping to the back of the book every time that you need to look up something. There are endnotes that give more information about the haiku Basho writes. This is a very cool book, that gives the reader a glimpse at the literary world of japan back during the 17th century.

This is a very well translated and annotated edition of this great work.

Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (9/06)

Matsuo Basho (1644-94) was a famous Japanese haiku poet. In 1689, he took a 1,233 mile journey across Japan. His travels lasted five months. He was joined by his friend Kawai Sora. Basho wrote about this trip. He titled it, "Oku No Hosomichi," which translates to "Narrow Road to the Interior." This story is considered to be a masterpiece of Japanese literature. He took four years to write it and revise it.

Basho started this trip when his house burned down. He had two goals. One goal was spiritual; it involved "poetic truth." The other goal was a practical one in which he would use his travels to become well known as a poet. Sora developed stomach problems and had to end his travels with Basho. Basho wrote a short piece for him. In the second part of this book, there is a translation of "A Farewell Gift to Sora."

Basho funded his travels with donations from wealthy friends and students. He felt that there were three types of poets. The first type is confused noisemakers. The second type is wealthy people who desire to write instead of gossip. The third type is poets who work hard at writing true poetry. These poets write to "soothe their heart." Basho was the third type of poet.

Hiroaki Sato includes annotations to go along with the writings. This adds richness to the story and helps explain more about the culture and what was happening at the time. I read the story first with the annotations to gain understanding of what I was reading; then I went back and reread the story by itself so that I could feel how it flowed. Without the annotations, I would have enjoyed Basho's story, but I would not have understood much of what was written. Sato also includes pages of notes and commentaries. This is a well researched piece. "Basho's Narrow Road" is a beautiful story about Basho's travels. In it he reflects on the beauty of the countryside and the spirit of the people that he encounters.

I recommend "Basho's Narrow Road" to people that enjoy Japanese poetry, especially Haiku. It would also be a great book to use for a college literature class. I really enjoyed Basho's journey.

Sangat menarik! Very interesting! berisi foto foto tua Jakarta dari Abad 17; 18; 19 dan 20.

Sangat bagus dan buku ini boleh dianggap sebagai BUKU ACUAN deh!..

TOP BANGET!

I'm an "amateur" collector of Dutch-Indies photo books, and have a number of photo books mainly in the Dutch language. Aside from the famous Woodbury-Page classic book on the old photographs of Java, this is perhaps the only other substantial English language photo-book on old Batavia in the 19th century.

The book is well organized, according to how an old Batavia resident might view the city. The four parts of the book cover the four major parts of the city Batavia of the 19th Century. These are Downtown Batavia, Molenvliet (Jl. Gajah Mada & Hayam Wuruk), Uptown Batavia (Weltevreden area) and Tanjung Priok.

The photographs are page-size and each is accompanied by interesting historical facts, information and quotes from other sources regarding the location in question.

The book is truly a masterpiece and worth every penny.

(Note: I do not know the author, but wish he would do an equivalent treatment of the city of Bandoeng).

For those of us who love books--the sensuous heft of their weight, the feel of the paper, the sheen of a beautifully printed page--this book is a treasure. It's a treasure for more than its physical being: it's a treasure in the way it is written. The text takes the reader on a "time capsule" tour of Old Batavia, making clear sense of the topography and the sociology of this city now lost to modern Djakarta. This was an expensive book, but I don't regret a penny of the purchase price.

Just completed this book. Motivation was a trip to visit Singapore and to learn a little about the history.

Book is an excellent read, with human interest stories all the way through. An extra touch is that the author follows through these human interest stories through to the current day.

The Japanese have landed in Malaya and have started their 400 mile trek south to Singapore. When various officers suggested building defense works on the north side of Singapore Island General Percival vetoed the idea saying that defense works would be bad for morale. Later when the Japanese army initiated its crossing of the narrow straits separating Singapore Island for the Malayan peninsula it was determined that General Yamashita was coordinating the attack from the top of a five story tower attached to the Palace of the Maharajah of Johore. When asked permission to fire on the tower in order to destroy this unique observation post permission was denied. The reason? If the Maharajah's palace was damaged the British government would have to reimburse the Maharajah for the damage after the war.

This book provides a detailed account of that desperate attempt to keep the Japanese from reaching Singapore. Lacking air and naval cover, and led by general officers of questionable ability the British, Indian, and Australian troops fought valiantly, but ultimately lost. It is interesting that Churchill insisted that the army fight to the last man. That directive resulted in about 10,000 casualties for the Allied Forces.

Then follows the account of the brutal occupation of Singapore. Another interesting point is that Korean soldiers in the Japanese army were even more brutal than the Japanese soldiers. While it is inspiring to read of the many heroes who fought hard and endured deprivation and torture at the hand of their conqueror, it is also sad that these men were so poorly led by their generals.


The author has written this historical drama in a fine narrative style. My interest in books like these may differ from the interests of others. I am interested in the psychological and social impact of war, how soldiers and civilians cope with the stresses of war. Why do people make the decisions that they do, and why are some people heroic while others lose their humanity. This book provides this sort of information in some detail. At times I became a bit weary of the detailed account of each battle and skirmish, but then again that is what some readers are looking for. All in all a well rounded account of a great disaster of World War II.

To truly understand a nation you need to understand how it reacts in defeat as well as victory. This is an excellent study of the former by Peter Thomson. Details of the adversaries on all sides of the conflict help to crystalise the thoughts and pervading attitude and atmosphere that both led to and propagated the greatest catastrophe and capitulation in British military history. The author's description of events, of the fighting retreat, tactics (especially of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Australian regiments and the Anti-tank and Artillery regiments) ,of the mistakes , mis-handling, bungling and lack of foresight, as well as some of the all too short successes is exilarating reading. The many atrocities covered make the ordinary mortal question the inhumanity of the Japanese Army. More balance might have been achieved by expressing more of the enemy military strategy and better maps would have help in the understanding, but this is nevertheless an outstanding historical read. I chose to read the book in parallel with Colin Smiths book Singapore Burning which developed my understanding . The culpability for the debacle was easily discernible through the narrative and politicians in Britain, Australia and Singapore play their part in this. The desertion, at the end , by the Australian commander General Bennett, all bull and bluster, was only counterbalanced by the extreme bravery of Australian and many other nationalities. It's also fair to say that others deserted Singapore by dereliction and were not brought to book. I strongly recommend this book to anybody interested in WW2 history and the fall of an Empire.

Title: Becka and the Big Bubble; Becka goes to India
Format: Children's hardback print
Authors: Gretchen Schomer Wendel and Adam Anthony Schomer
Illustrator: Damon Renthrope
ISBN: 978-1-933754-13-0
Published By: Waterside Press
Review By: Diana Rohini LaVigne, Indian Life & Style Magazine

Culturally rich, extraordinarily bubbly and down right fun, Becka goes to India from the Becka and the Big Bubble series is the ultimate childhood story experience. Jumping from one part of India to another, Becka happily immerses herself in Indian's long standing culture. Exploring the Himalayan mountain range to running over the green rolling fields, this books gives young readers a look at one of the most exotic places still on the face of the planet. Introducing readers to key Indian cities, wild animals of India and one of the most famous landmarks in the world, Gretchen Schomer Wendel and Adam Anthony Schomer drive the story towards having fun and the innocence of discovery. Holiday celebrations, legendary leaders and the beauty of traditional ancient Indian instruments are carefully introduced in a simple to understand format but which delights the readers too.

Illustrations are bold, big and beautifully done. Illustrator Damon Renthrope doesn't hold back anything in bringing to the foreground the wonder in colors that India delivers. Courageous colors skip throughout the pages of the book

With proceeds from the book going towards finding a cure for cancer, these authors and publisher are setting the tone for combining good learning with good cause. Becka goes to India from the Becka and the Big Bubble series is one of a powerful series of rhyming picture books that teach and inspire youthful readers. It's the one book that even parents will enjoy rereading every night to their children.

We have the whole series of the Becka and the Big Bubble books and my daughter loves them. Books that rhyme are a big hit with her right now and I love all of the fun words like "flippity-free" and "pippity-pop." And, I also like that I am introducing her to new places and new cultures, even at her young age. A definite hit at our house!

This is our favorite book.....we love the series so much that we bought them all. The bubble is a hit with the kids!!!!