China Books

This is a wonderful story---and tragic. This is the story of a feisty, smart, indominable young woman, and she knows no false modesty. It's fun and sad and moving and inspiring, and it's all true. I believe this fine lady is now deceased, and that is a shame. We are all poorer for it. Read it and enjoy a first person account of what coming to America is like---If you can take the truth.

I just finished reading this book. As a person who was born outside of China, I have had experienced some of the prejudice that Lindsay come across at the academic world.
From my experience, a lot of Americans do not truly understand the Asian culture and they assumed all the same.
This is part of my daily occurance at work. Sometimes I'm so tired of explained to them.
Multi-culturalinasim do not work. We need to have a melting pot, so that all that want to become Americans can understand what this culture and languagge well.

Lei Wang was born to parents condemned as counter-revolutionaries during the time of Mao. She was raised by politically out-of-favor grandparents. She endured abuse from officials, teachers, Red Guards, and her peers, who called her "dog's daughter," lowest of the wretched.

Mao died and the political line changed. Lei distinguished herself as a student and teacher. She came to the United States for further study. She hoped that the United States was different. But what she experienced was a similar form of persecution from the liberal academic establishment.

Mostly this book is about courage. Lei has the courage to believe in reasonable, scientifically supported facts that contradict politically correct ones. She has the courage to express those ideas in hostile circumstances where a price is paid. And she has the courage to endure, believing in the value of even a lone voice of sanity.

I'm a retired teacher. I can attest to Lei's characterization of the educational establishment. But the book goes far beyond that, encompassing the heart of what promotes life and what corrupts it. "Dog's Daughter" is one of the most significant books I've read.

This book should appeal to anyone interested in China's history and the turmoil of the Cultural Revolution. Moreover, it should appeal to anyone interested in the "culture wars" that have unfortunately become a part of higher education in the USA. The book chronicles the struggles of a Chinese woman who is persecuted by Red Guards and Communist authorities during that country's insanity in the 1960s. After "escaping" to study in the USA, she learns that she must conform and obey the politically correct authorities who control her university or suffer the consequences. It appears that China doesn't have a monopoly on political insanity! The book is interesting and provocative. When reading the text--particularly the portion of her experiences in the USA--a reader doesn't know whether he or she should laugh or cry (probably both). One thing is for sure, you won't put this volume down until you have completed reading it! I rate this book Five Stars out of Five Stars!

Ted Plafker, author of Doing Business in China: How to Profit in the World's Fastest Growing Market, should know what he's talking about as he personally invested 18 years of his life living in Beijing as a business journalist for The Economist. And he does! Plafker's wonderful book is an excellent guidebook that is filled with insightful anecdotes and very useful summaries at the end of each chapter.

Three sections that readers will find especially helpful are: 1. Pinpointing the Top Emerging Markets; 2. Laws, Rules & Regulations; and, 3. Understanding Cultural Differences.

As a consultant on doing business in Asia, I stress the importance of understanding a country's law and culture before making investment decisions. The author rightfully cautions his readers that it is not especially profitable to label China as a communist country and proceed from there as the Chinese market economy is more socialist than it is communist. (On my visits to China, I `ve found it more capitalist than many Americans might imagine.)

He advises that for a company to thrive in China it must re-tool its product to fit the needs of the Chinese consumers. I have found this to be especially true for India also.

Ted was in Los Angeles in the Spring 2008 and I had the privilege of meeting him in person.

By Gunjan Bagla
Author of Doing Business in 21st Century India

An excellent resource for china. The author does not fabricate or exaggerate anything that he doesnt seem to know about the country and he applies written tetimony form people who have worked and lived there.

I am a business strategy consultant with a reasonable amount of China experience. I have to say that this book provides the best balance of concise presentation, expert insight, and enjoyable narrative of any China business book I've read.

Too many books on the subject of doing business in China are written by quasi-experts who comment on broad trends that are either obvious or false conventional wisdom. Mr. Plafker's book shows a level of China business acumen that can only be garnered from years of experience. The anecdotes are at once entertaining and insightful. I have successfully used a number of the stories when consulting for clients. I had a recent client engaged a one-man consultancy offering "expertise" in China market entry. The client was shocked when I was able to guess (based on Mr Plafker's anecdotes) that the expert had (1) boasted about the number of visits he had made to China and (2) gone on at length on the need to hand over business cards with two hands. The consultant turned out to have little true expertise, and I established my credibility.

This book is a must-read. For those that are new to business in China, it is a more nuanced and insightful primer than any other you will find. For old China hands, the book is a useful tool to help you synthesize the body wisdom that you have accumulated.

This is a must-read for any Western business people venturing into China.

As a Chinese living in US for 10 years, I am amazed by Ted's understanding and appreciation of some of the subtleties of the Chinese culture, e.g. reluctance to say no, huge concern for one's face or mianzi. His treatment of the expat life in China is objective and comprehensive. He also paints an excellent picture of what aspects of China are morphing to be more western-like. His opinions and advices are specific, and backed by facts and his 18-year first-hand experience on the ground. For the thorniest issue, corruption, Ted gave a sound advice of never getting your foot wet in it.

Ted's writing is easy to read. The summaries at the end of each chapter are very useful references.

One thing Ted did not give enough coverage, in my opinion, is the implication of the strong nationalism sentiment reinforced by the Chinese Community Party through the schooling system as well as the media. A lot of Chinese people view the Western powers as greedy and unfriendly because of the humiliation and exploitation suffered by the Chinese in late 1800's and early 1900's. That sentiment is at the root of a lot of the sensitivities.

Another thing I did not quite like is that the catchy subtitle is somewhat misleading. A more accurate subtitle would be "What you have to know before and during doing business in China". But that is a petty flaw in a no-nonsense book.

Dean Barrett's search for the legendary blossom spring provides an excellent narrative unerpinning for his adventures and travels in China. He is a fine writer with unique insights. A great book.

A really great book on China and a great way to learn about a Chinese poet. The writer searches the hills of China for a utopia which it is quite clear never existed in the first place (except maybe in his weird mind) and in that way we learn about China in a way textbooks can't teach us. Far out! I cracked up laughing in places, something I seldom do with travel books. I like the writer's weird way of looking at things. No bull, just lots of insight. A great read!

Don Quixote in China is one of those travel books that is as entertaining as it is informative. I learned a lot about Chinese people and culture while I laughed out loud. The author has a lot of fun in his search for a kind of utopia that in all probability doesn't exist anyway. But the fun and the learning experience is in his search. Well written and informative.

The author of this book sets out to locate a Chinese arcadia in the mountains of China based on clues in a fourth century poem written by a Chinese poet who was always pretty high on Chinese wine, anyway. So he heads off into China to try to locate this remote community called Peach Blossom Spring. The book is interesting, sometimes very funny, and sometimes hilarious. Although he is not afraid to criticize the Chinese it is clear he has a great love for them as well as quite a thorough knowledge of Chinese history and culture. He spends some time describing his encounters with Chinese women such as "Miss Pong" but that is part of the fun of his style.

I can highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a good read and wants to learn about China at the same time.

I bought this book for my three year old son and he quite enjoys it because of the dragon. The vocabulary is a bit difficult but not terribly so. The story is interesting and I am sure it is a book that my son will come back to again happily when he is older.

This book is about a prince who can turn into animals and a farmer who had 7 daughters. The third sister is the evil and greedy one and the seventh sister the youngest daughter, was the prettiest. If it wasn't for her weaving fine shoes the family would have died. In the story the prince is trying to find a wife. So he searched everywhere for one.
If you like Beauty And The Beast you will like this book because this is the same only that it is the Chinese version. They also have the same theme which is don't judge a book by its cover. I know this is the message because in both stories they disguise themselves and they are really are princes
This is an awesome book. I recommend it to young readers for it has excitement, romance, adventure, and more. So pick it up at your local library or buy it at a book store. Hope you enjoy.

This is a great story for children and grown-ups. Adults will enjoy reading this book to their children. A nice story from China.

An excellent book on Chinese fairy tales about a Prince/Dragon and a poor, but skilled and beautiful peasant girl. It contains exquisite illustrations that captured my preschool and grade school daughters attention. I highly recommend this fantasy book for preschoolers, through grades three. The reading level and some content (reasoning) for older grades. Recommended for students, teachers, and parents.

To anyone who wonders what a new book about the Korean War has to offer, Mr Patrick Roe?s magnificent work gives a most convincing answer. The writer is a military man and he analyzes the reasons and the strategy of the Chinese intervention in Korea in a masterful way, using a wealth of Chinese, Soviet, Korean and American sources. Every bit of detail is here, to satisfy even the most demanding reader: what was the status of the PLA in the eve of the Korean War, what was the military philosophy of Mao and his entourage, how the Soviets repeatedly let down the Chinese offering help and then changing their mind, how the PLA overcame great doubts (and fear) to go for the first time outside their own borders to fight against the most well-equipped force of the era, how the Chinese regarded the nuclear threat of the USA, which forces they employed, how and why, the reasons for choosing General Peng Te Huai to command the Chinese People?s Volunteers, a blow by blow analysis of the battles between the PLA and the UN forces in Korea during the first critical months and, of course, the many mistakes of the US intelligence services who underestimated the Chinese factor for a long time. Highly recommended!

Review of Roe, The Dragon Strikes This is an important book for the serious student of military and political history and for the veterans of the "Forgotten War" - and of other conflicts large and small, before and since. It is a sober, serious carefully organized and closely written work. That should not be read as dull or difficult. It is simply and elegantly composed in terms immediately accessible to any interested reader. I would suggest thatthe reader first scan the final chapter (16), "Looking Back", for a contextual summary of the author1s findings. After that, the Preface tells you who the author is and what motivates him. Itis brief, simple and overly modest. From this point on the chapters develop an account rangingfrom the historical relationships of Asians and Europeans over the last 150 years, to the political aftermath of WW2, the overheated ideological confrontations of "super powers", and the willful - if not entirely intentional, misunderstandings that led up to and resulted in the tragic mishandling of the (multiplex) strategies and tactics of the Korean War. Although it is told in simple language, this is not a simple tale. Roe does not seek or dispense blame. The book is a painstaking and rigorously objective attempt to make sense of the cascade of misconceptions, missteps and faulty decisions that were the pivotal crises of the Korean "Police Action" and the tragedy of that still unresolved war. If the reader discerns incompetence, rampant egotism, chauvinist arrogance or just plain stupidity, these are revealed by the actors themselves, in the context of their actions, and not by the conjecture or "interpretation" of the author. My personal bias should be made clear. Like Pat Roe I am a member of the Chosin Few. As he was a young 2nd Lt. in the 7th Marine Regiment, I was a young Sgt. in the 5th Marines.I came to know him personally a dozen years or so ago. I respect and admire his clear-headed intelligence, his uncompromising - if polite -honesty, his unquestionable personal integrity and his ability to look calmly and objectively at the facts and to organize and present them lucidly, without adjective or adverbial coloring. Roe is known throughout the membership of the Chosin Few for his remark at the first reunion of that fraternity in 1985. On the heels of much in the way of rhetoric and reminiscence and the emotional impact of encountering old comrades and mourning those lost, Roe summarized his viewpoint and his feelings. He wrote simply, "We did a good thing". Pat has done a good and valuable thing in this book. In the Preface he writes that the book is a product of six years of research and writing. This is his only misstatement in 450 pages. The book is the product of fifty years of attention and devotion to duty.

I consider this the best book I have read on the first six months of the Korean War. It accurately covers the conflict both before and after the entry of the Chinese. More importantly it gives excellent background on the Chinese, Korean, Soviet relations. It fairly identifies the deficiencies of the high command (Washington and Tokyo) and the problems faced by a badly depleted military force. It coordinates the actions of the Eighth Army and X Corps and identifies the lack there of. With only minor errors it accurately portrays the debacles of late November and early December, a feat rarely done. I know, I was at Koto-ri.

I consider this the best book I have read on the first six months of the Korean War. It accurately covers the conflict both before and after the entry of the Chinese. More importantly it gives excellent background on the Chinese, Korean, Soviet relations. It fairly identifies the deficiencies of the high command (Washington and Tokyo) and the problems faced by a badly depleted military force. It coordinates the actions of the Eighth Army and X Corps and identifies the lack there of. With only minor errors it accurately portrays the debacles of late November and early December, a feat rarely done. I know, I was at Koto-ri.

It's fun to seen how far a poet can walk away from his inheritance of mellinia worth of formal, rhyme and meter poetry and still be in perfect command of the poetry of linguistic compression. Many of these page or less beauties seem as if pencil never touched paper before the entire piece, word for word, was fully formed in the poet's head. From there, it seems the revision process weighed heavily on oral recitation to perfect the music of the pieces (from "At Golgotha": Then the first breath came. I remembered / the wooden boat shaking over the rapids / of the river's mouth, bumping / at the sea's gate. I remembered / running my hands over a newly / sanded board... Then the second breath" [ellipsis his]). Spice it all with a gift for aphorism (from "The Barber": The barber is someone who creates / by taking away, like a writer / who only owns an eraser.), surrealism (from "Dream of Russia": ... She bakes bread / in a cruel gymnasium; bullets for brothers / as if they were crows. Now / we must eat the black spoons.), and a sense of humor ("Man Writes Poem"). The first time I saw the 8 line "Man in a Lighted Room at Sundown," I read it three times--not because of its obscurity but because I couldn't believe someone had written something so complex so beautifully. And this is the first time in a long time that I've read a series poem (with numbered parts) and found each of the parts holds up its part of the bargain (both "The Comedian's Ten Songs" and "Boxes and Oceans"). In the Acknowledgements, it is all explained--to me anyway--with a reference to the Minnesota Sufi group. This is, at last, non-linear poetry that demands we shed our expectations and surrender to who and where we are in the ambient light of verse. All that aside, how could you not pick up a book with a title like Dynamite on a China Plate, take it out for a spin?

No image is a better metaphor for Jay Leeming's poems than the title of his collection: "Dynamite on a China Plate"--the dynamite promising an explosion and the delicate, elegant China plate quivering with tension. In this book of poetry readers will find humor, unexpected twists and turns, raw wit and the juxtaposition of nonsensical ideas with realistic images, all served on a delightful, dynamic plate of lilting verse.

Leeming's verse, full of rhythm and written in a dynamic voice, possesses unique musical qualities. In "Man Writes Poem," readers listen in as a narrator who speaks like a sportscaster and a second reporter describe what is happening while a man writes a poem. The situation itself is tremendously funny because a person writing a poem is likely one of the least exciting things in the world to watch and report, the exact opposite of an exciting sports game that involves much grabbing and passing of balls, scoring of points, etc. Yet Leeming carries it off and manages to make poem-writing exciting, or at least entertaining for spectators:

This just in a man has begun writing a poem
in a small room in Brooklyn. His curtains
are apparently blowing in the breeze. We go now
to our man Harry on the scene, what's
the story down there Harry? (Leeming)

This witty collection of poems is bound to entertain and surprise readers at every turn of the page. Highly recommended.

Yes, Jay Leeming's work is like an agate - you've never seen one quite like his before. His poems and angles on the world make you think, "Why didn't I think of that, why didn't anyone think of that?" Like all brilliant poets, he shows us what we've always known, but never thought of. This the most fun I've had between the covers of a book in a long time.

Bill Robichaud

Jay Leeming's poems in "Dynamite on a China Plate" entice the reader's mind to view the events in his life as if for the first time. The poet's play with language enhances the ordinary into becoming extraordinary. The beauty of each poem is captured and then let go with a surprise the reader will remember long after he has put the book down. On top of this, Leeming's poetry carries the rhythmic beat of an accomplished musician. This collection is a "must-read"--even if you don't like poetry.
Thelma Turner

I bought the book for the friend to give as a gift. I thought she had given it for Valentine's Day, but here's what she said when I asked her for a review: I didn't give it to him - I decided to wait til his b-day in Nov but yes, the book is excellent - exactly what he wants - the pictures are beyond excellent and extremely detailed - it's an excellent book!

I ordered this book so I could read about the terracotta warriors prior to visiting the exhibit currently at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana, CA. The other reviews are really what sold me on the book - especially the review by B. Evans.

I ordered the book July 31 (Sunday) and paid for shipping so I could receive it prior to my museum visit August 7. I expected it to arrive the 6th but it arrived on the 4th! I was very pleased with the fast service. I was astounded when I saw the book. It surpassed the reviews by far. It's gorgeous! There's so much background information and the writing style is excellent and the photos are superb.

If you have an opportunity to see an exhibit, please go! But first - buy this book! I'm so glad I'd read the background information (I skimmed a lot - there's a lot of information!) and looked at the very detailed photos prior to my visit. It made it so much more enjoyable (there's an audio guide and great written plaques at the museum but I liked knowing all that information beforehand). I also appreciate the photos even more now because the museum has low lighting and that makes a difference when you're over 50! Seeing the warriors in person is a great experience - but having this book is even better because the details are sharper and you get a vast amount of information. The exhibit had the 2 chariots with horses and so many of the warriors and animals that are featured in the book that you have your own museum tour right there in the book.

I almost bought a book that featured a large fold-out of the warriors lined up in the pit. I saw that book in the museum and looked at the fold-out (and another fold-out was placed on the wall). The photography was inferior to the photography in this book. I looked at all the books the museum had and was thrilled with this book. It's really the best. So thank you to the first 3 reviewers! You sold me and I'm grateful! One thing no one mentioned was the quality of the paper in this book. That struck me immediately. It has very high quality, glossy paper which makes it easy to read and makes the photographs stand out. With tax and shipping, it came to $41.79 and is worth so much more than that.

The striking feature of this book is its inclusion of unusually large photos of close-ups of some individual soldiers. Two individual chariots, in addition, receive in-depth illustration of various aspects. If you really want to have a taste of what it feels when seeing as different each of the soldiers' faces, you will never be disappointed with this book in hand.

Several historical incidents that happened in this period also attract elaboration from this book. How the Emperor burnt thousands of scholars and books in order to take control of people's mind, is something that is explained through a model of the scene by the authors.

At the end of the book, the authors also explain how they, with the help of the Chinese officials, took the photos, with equipment weighing over 1000 pounds.

In the middle of the book the authors also attempt to delineate the long tradition of the Chinese philosophical thought as expressed in different schools, that preceded the rule of the Emperor over the unified China, which lasted only for 15 years!
While the discussion of the philosophical thoughts might not be deep enough, I guess the readers who are interested in this book would not count this as any issue. For overall each of the faces of the soldiers that feature in the photos already tell thousands of different stories, given the reader's own imagination.

I would recommend this book as a highly collectible gem!

I bought THE ETERNAL ARMY to learn more about its discovery, the reason for its creation, and above all, for its many incredibly stunning/revealing photographs. So closely are the soldiers shown, for example, that one can clearly see the different facial expressions of each. But I was even more amazed by how detailed and different the backs of their heads are, especially the ones with braided hair. And that each soldier's armor is made up of a myriad plates absolutely astonished me.

In addition to the famous soldiers and bronze chariots (also shown in incredible detail), the camera treats the reader to close-ups of the chariot driver, archers, functuaries and the scantily clad figures now thought to perhaps be gymnasts or wrestlers "ready to engage in an exercise of martial arts." Shown too are many artifacts, such as bronze birds, that were found along with the army. But perhaps most mind-boggling of all are the photographs of finds yet to be reassembled, for they attest to how monumental the task has been to excavate and restore but a fraction of the emperor's army.

Had the above, including the fascinating information about the army, been all that was in this book, I still would have gladly spent every dollar I did to purchase two copies. But much to my amazement, there was even more: approximately 90 pages of background about ancient China and the Qin empire--pages laced with stunning photographs of related artifacts and watercolors, pages so interesting that I learned much about a period that I'd had absolutely no interest in. And as an added bonus, the entire book is written in prose not the least bit pedantic. For these reasons, there are neither superlatives nor stars enough to convey how highly I recommend this book. --B. Evans, 12/11/07

Incidentally, photographs from this tome were used to make the four jigsaw puzzles of the terracotta army in a slim, $6.99 remainder book with the same title that currently is available at Border's.

I got this as a gift a few years ago. Looking at the publication date, I would have to say I recieved it when it was fairly new. When I saw the title I was a bit put off...there a quite a few books that use *feng shui* as buzz words to rope in suckers looking to change their...well...chi...and inprove their lives...

But this many years down the road, I have to say, grudgingly, that there are many plusses to this book. The recipes are nutritious, delicious and *solid* in a culinary sense and the directions are clear and easy to understand. The recipes are decidedly Asian in nature. In my area most are easily available with the possible exception of dashi soup stock and tamarind paste which would require more of a hunt...

Several recipes stand out as ..well...outstanding. Berry balsamic parfaits (try it over vanilla ice cream with mint sprigs, unbeleivablely good)Seared salmon with horseradish butter (actually the horseradish butter is a winner all by its lonesome) easy and delicious. Chicken soup for a cold is a very good asian soup soup stock with the addition fo ginger and chilies. Adding your own touches makes it a whole soup meal for company... just pass around accompiments...

There is a lot of feng shui information in the beginning. Some I found interesting. Where is the best place in my home for the kitchen? What if it wasnt there? How to set up the kitchen so I didn't eat too much? (okay, i liked that part)...The yin and yang of eating...

There are different options on changing the recipes thru out the book, I like that. And how to serve the dishes. The book is more square than rectangle and is a hardcover that lies flat (yay!) The binding is in very good shape after all these years. It does tend to open to the recipes i have used more frequently at this point tho.... the paper isnt wipable unfortuantely...soy sauce stains from earier dishes are here and there. The color of the paper is a nice off white, very easy on the eyes... the pages are a bit thin, you can see shadows of the other pages through them. Ah well, you cant have everything...

There is a removeable and cleanable attractive book jacket and the artwrk inside is tastful with and asian flair... no bok choy running away from dancing knives thankfully!

Thinking back to my original objection, I was wrong. This was an excellent gift and an excellent cookbook. It's smaller size would make it an excellent addition to a themed gift basket with an asian flair (like some dried noodles, soy sauce, dried mushrooms, dashi stock, mirin...all inside a big wok!)

I'm not sure what I expected when my wife brought home this cookbook (not much though). We must have 30 cookbooks... but we keep coming back to this book for quick and easy recipes that are quite wholesome. I can't vouch for the Feng Shui aspects--I guess it's cool that the dishes have a purpose. But every recipe we've tried has been great. We also like the Moosewood series of books--but find those recipes often take way longer than estimated (the ones in this book are very fast).

From the Feng Shui book we regularly make the peanut noodle vegetables; the chickpea curry (mentioned in another review), and the grape gazpacho. There are a couple other stand-bys... but we're also up to try new ones all the time.

There are some pretty goofy "theme" cookbooks out there... and, on the surface, this may seem like one too. But don't be left out--it really is good.

I've heartily recommended this book to friends who are interested in Taoism and those who love to cook, and both groups seem pleased. I've cooked a dozen or so of the main dish recipes; none required cooking skills beyond the average meal-a-day home cook, and all the ingredients have been readily available at a well-stocked grocery. And every one has been a hit!

Having never been a person to play close attention to my yin, let alone my yang, I was understandably frazzled when my wife announced that our day guest had turned into a dinner guest. With two young children, dinner is on a set time-table. Now I pride myself on having dinner guests. Cooking is my hobby. (My wife told me I needed a hobby and her genius suggested cooking.)

So there I was with a few cans and a little over a pound of ground turkey meat. I rifled through my recipe books and came across one that I wasn't even aware of: Elizabeth Miles' The Feng Shui Cookbook. And there on pg. 167 was a recipe for Quick Chickpea Curry (containing the ground turkey). While the recipe promised to warm my qi and creative energy, I was glued to word quick.

Well in less than 20 minutes I had achieved both. The curry was fab, sprinkled with yogurt and cilantro. Our dinner guest went back for seconds and then thirds. And the conversation was robust. The Feng Shui part achieved its goal in spite of my cynicism.

Since I have enjoyed a number of the other dishes with other guests. Miles' text is as strong as her recipes. She has carefully crafted a book which tells you how certain food can feed certain moods and inspire different reactions. And this makes for immensely edible thoughts and results and of course, food.

Sincerely hope the authors bring back the Alperts in another adventure! (Especially now that they are independently wealthy and don't necessarily have to return to gainful employment -- as exciting or boring as it might be.)
This global tale of intrigue, complete with dastardly characters and near-death experiences, will have you wanting to skip ahead, but at the same time not wanting to miss a beat.
You will surely want to read another adventure involving the witty, intelligent, savvy and lovable Alperts.

Great chemistry and development with the characters. Also a very believable story and couple. It was very fast moving and suspensful. I loved the way the journal was interspersed into the time line. All around great story!

Heir Apparent, Inc sends letters to married sisters Paige Alper and Sheryl Fenster informing them they can earn $62,500 each if they sign the attached legal document. Apparently, their globetrotting seafaring Uncle Jock Boylan left a fortune. Because of her husband's latest get rich scheme, Sheryl needs the money to pay off loan sharks, but Paige prefers to find the loot and not share it with Heir Apparent, Inc.

Paige and her husband Max are investigative reporters; she gets time off while he quits. They begin tracking Jock's last days by visiting the Oceans Shore Nursing Home in San Diego where he stayed whenever he suffered from Lassa Fever. That leads to Asia as Jock had business dealings and a surprising family connection there. As the journalists follow the clues, they soon realize that Jock was murdered to silence him from exposing a white slaver ring. Now the intrepid Americans have a mission besides money to uncover.

HEIR TODAY is a terrific private investigative tale that is made even more realistic by the simple act of Max being fired when he wanted time off. The story line is fast-paced as the lead couple hop seemingly everywhere uncovering and including having their clothing taken away one shocking but always dangerous clue after another while Paige realizes how little she knew about her Uncle Jock. Fans will enjoy this fun thriller starring two adept journalists, who spend much of the inquiries in precarious situations.

Harriet Klausner

HEIR TODAY by J.J. Lamb and Bette Golden Lamb grabs you by the brain stem and whips you into wit, intrigue, and adventure faster than you can say "Heirs Apparent, Inc." When Paige Alpert gets a letter from the devious heir tracers offering to split her inheritance from her uncle Captain Jack Boylan fifty-fifty with her, she's not happy. Why should they get half of the quarter-million dollars that she and her sister are due? Hah! And her husband, Max, agrees. They decide to find the money themselves. They're investigative reporters. How hard can it be?
As it turns out, it can be pretty hard, not to mention deadly dangerous. But it's funny, too. And charming. And as entertaining as Nick and Nora Charles ever were on film. Even as this husband and wife team are abducted, beaten, nearly roasted alive, and forced to investigate a nudist colony, they work together with such love and wit and intelligence that you want to be a part of their team. Murder, high seas piracy, prostitution, revenge, corrupt Chinese officials: the Alperts face it all with the courage, integrity, and persistence of all true heros.
I love Paige and Max Alpert. I wouldn't have missed my armchair adventure with them for all the world...or a quarter-million dollars. I just hope I get to play with them again soon. This book is a must read!

This book is incredible. First, the photography is excellent, beautifully portraying most of the recipes. The book begins with a complete listing of all of the ingredients used. It is about 6 pages of pertinent information, including pictures for some of the most obscure ingredients. The recipes cover a thorough range of the basic recipes that you may be looking for. I am Indian and am thrilled with the list. Just about every recipe is critical, they appear back-to-back and have several pictures. I will probably cook every recipe in the Indian section. That section alone makes it worth the purchase. However, it covers seven other asian cuisines in a very similar manner. It also offers enticing "melting pot" menus, mixing the cuisines. You will get the recipes you want, that you can make, with a little commentary and exquisite pictures. This is one of the best cook books I have ever seen.

All recipes are well described and illustrated. Everything is clear and easy to understand.

It is soo good !! I tried the eggs curry from Indonesia it is so yummy !! Also the have menu suggestions so that was real helpfull since I do a lot of parties !!!

Picture of Singapore's famous food example spicy satay,laksa,chicken rice...