France Books

The book was just the up-lift I needed. Great humor!

Lisa Marie Kroeker of Memphis, the only girl out of a family of five children, honored her mother's ban on Barbie dolls and survived a father whose business sign sported his head atop the body of a frog. Amelie Jeanette DuPree, a refined and delicate creature called Amy, moved to Memphis with her mother and Grandmere when both girls were eight. These two young people of conflicting and diverse backgrounds formed an immediate bond of friendship
Lisa immersed herself in Amy's family and their refined family heritage. She loved the unhealthy snacks, bedrooms with flowers and frills, Mrs. DuPree's sophistication and Grandmere's floral French perfumes. Amy enjoyed the Kroeker's rowdy household even though Barbie dolls were disdained and sweets were nonexistent. This loving friendship lasted until their senior year of high school leaving Lisa to guess why Amy had pulled away.
As young women, the two are reunited at a hospital in Cincinnati. Their renewed relationship digs itself into a deeper more solid bond. When Amy's Grandmere dies, they find her white silk purse that holds enough money for both Lisa and Amy to visit Paris. The older lady's note asked them to meet and thank a special family in Paris who owned a world-famous, refined linens shop. This adopted family taught her to create exclusive, elegant needlework, which provided an excellent lifestyle for her family.
Touring Paris forces both girls to face personal fears from the time they arrive at the hotel in a stolen taxi and are entangled with the police department until their last fears are faced at the Eiffel Tower. Both women are Christians and their Paris experience helps strengthen their walk with the Lord. The famous Eiffel Tower parallels a step-by-step walk with God which helps overcome childhood fears.
Read Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! as a travel guide to Paris: museums, churches, the Eiffel Tower, and a plethora of high and low-end shopping. The poignant and sentimental visit with Grandmere's Paris family is a beautiful story.
A Discussion Guide is included for bookclub members.

An encouraging "read" that pushed me to remember that we can always grow in the weak areas of our lives. I love Robin Jones Gunn's books and this book is a great success as she continues to highlight the blessing of having and being a good friend.

I can only say that Robin Jones Gunn has again spoken to my soul in this book. For everyone who has ever tried to be perfect so that God wouldn't be disappointed in you, it's a must read. The descriptions of sights and experiences in Paris are terrific. We see how God uses even the misguided, prejudiced, and legalistic tactics of one sisterchick's mother as a part of eventually lovingly drawing someone to Himself and how He orchestrates events to reconnect a lost friendship. I love everything about this book and the entire Sisterchicks series. The only drawback to these books is that since their effect is to make me crave visiting all the places Sisterchicks go, it could get to be a very expensive proposition. Can't wait for Sisterchicks in Gondolas. I've already pre-ordered it.

Sisterchicks Say Ooh La La! By Robin Jones Gunn is another entry in the fabulous Sisterchicks series. I've really loved every book in this series, but this one really plucked at my heartstrings. Maybe it was that Lisa is a little sarcastic and cynical like me. Lisa and Amy promised each other in grade school that when they grew up, they would go to Paris together. When Amy's grandmother passes away, they take the time for the trip and find that the road to the City of Lights is filled with bumps. There are a couple of laugh out loud moments in the book, but the strongest parts are about God and His love. Both Lisa and Amy need to face their fears to fully enjoy not only their trip but their lives as well.

Such a cute book!! Both informational and cute. Great for kids and the child within all of us.

Written and drawn in 1959 this children's book taught me a thing or two about a city I thought I already knew a lot about. The pictures and scenes are wonderful in bright colors and include most of the major sites in Paris from "le metro" to Montmartre and the Champs Elysees.

There have been a few of the drawings, or accompanying text, that have been asterisked to reflect the changes that have occurred in Paris since 1959 but if you are taking young ones over I highly recommend this book as a way to make some of what they will see a little more understandable for them.

This book has created a fabulous insight into the world of travel for my children. It has compelled us all to take a language course in French and to travel here and put our dreams into reality. It has planted the seed of intrigue and wonderment to which my children seek out this book to read at bedtime.

Once I have found this book at Amazon and I wondered about the Czech name of the author. I got to explore the book and realized that he was a Czech, what a mystery, we have never been taught about him at school (of no type). His books were written in English after he emigrated from the Czechoslovakia and were never published in Czech. I got too amazed and curious about this book, so I bought it, read it and love it! All the pictures and the style he wrote it in. I just feel cheated, that we Czechs do not know nothing about this wonderful books and about the author.

My granddaughter loves books about Paris; however, she is only 2 1/2 years old. While searching for other books about the city, Paris, we stumbled across this book on Amazon.com. She loves it. It is written in language she can understand and it has many drawings and illustrations to capture her attention. You won't be short changed with this book. We can't wait to order the rest of the books in this series.

David Douglas Duncan is one of the great photojournalists of the 20th Century. Beginning in 1950 he published twenty books over his lifetime. The first one, "This is War" was about the U.S. Marines in Korea and was recognized as a classic as soon as it reached the market. His book "The Private World of Pablo Picasso" introduced that enigmatic artist's personality to the world. People were able to see the private world that the artist both shaped and functioned within. When I was growing up I was so impressed with that book-length photographic essay that I wanted to follow in D.D.D.'s steps. It impressed me every bit as much as "The Family of Man," a Museum of Modern Art exhibit catalog of many photographers that changed the direction of my professional life. Alas, this book is not in the same league as Duncan's classic coffee table photography essays that have sold an almost unbelievable 2 million plus copies. Don't be too disappointed however, that this is not anything like his classics or his wonderful illustrated memoir "Yankee Nomad."
This is a dog lover's book. Anyone who is a German Shepherd owner will especially enjoy it. Overall, I rated it five stars for the dog memoir. I rated it only three stars for a photographic essay. That's how I arrived at an over-all rating of four stars. I was somewhat disappointed in it, but still love having it for my personal book collection.
The chief reasons for my disappointment with the book are my awareness of the volume's poor layout and design and so-so text. Many of the pictures are not up to the usual standard of the famous photojournalist author-photographer. Some of the layout looks exactly like a poorly done photo album. There is even one oval shaped photograph included to make it really resemble a family snapshot album. It's a lovely image and it suffers from the oval presentation. The biggest design problem is the choice of text fonts. I suspect the book was probably printed in several different languages and the French edition was just fed into a computer to translate the text. It was a perfect example of how not to translate a book. As a result, the font and layout reminded me of an elementary school textbook from 45 years ago when that style of type was the norm. At this time in history the poorly designed text blocks actually distracted the reader from some of the really beautiful photographs. I also had a problem with the free verse. The text is a bit confusing, disjointed, missing some basic information and seems too much like a cut-and-past edit, but that too may be the result of translating the text via a computer program?
For the loyal D.D.D. fans as well as all dog lovers, this is a must for your collection. Duncan was always a dog lover and this is only the latest acknowledgment of it. "Thor" really was well named. An unusual observation, feeling, I noticed while reading the book was how interesting the homes and countryside of Southern France appeared in many of the black and white photographs. In some cases I would have liked to be able to step into the pages of the book to better explore the locales shown in the pictures. Thor lived in quite a picturesque home and mountain village. Some of the interior pictures of Thor relaxing at home in front of the fireplace while guarding his owners have a distinct Georgia O'Keefe flavor to them. Some of the bronzes shown decorating the home's interiors have a distinct Picasso feel to them. Thor seemed quite happy living in this artist environment. Like most dogs, however, home to him was were his owners were and he would have been just as happy living in an igloo.

Simply the best book ever published, in my opinion. I wish I could have known Thor. It would have been an honor to share a piece of my life with such a noble being. I see so much of the dignity, the desire for solitude, the love for a family, and the good sense of Thor in my own beloved dogs, Pup and Skit. If you want to know the goodness that resides in the soul of dogs, then find a copy of this gentle book.

A few people reviewing this book have it confused with a novel titled Thor. This is by far my favorite book of all time, in fact, so much so, that I have 2 copies. The pictures are amazing and the love oozing from the words of the author are so touching. I could write a book just like this about my past and present "babies". God speed sweet Thor....snow dancing forever.

The book Thor is one of my favorites...assuming there are not two. The synopsis above does not seem to describe at all the book I and the reviewers have read. The book I so enjoyed described a loyal dog's silent, lonely, heroic struggle to protect his family from an enemy within which he had no chance of defeating. It's truly a wonderful book, in some ways in the spirit of Watership Down or Tailchaiser's Song. The book described in the synopsis, however, seems to be the story of a beloved pet in real life. Very confusing...if you find the suspense tale entitled Thor, on which I believe the movie "Bad Moon" (and equally bad movie, but not the author's fault) was based, pick it up. It's a wonderfully engaging one or two night read that will keep you up til dawn. I hope the author gives those of us who enjoyed the book so much another night or two of pleasure...it's a stretch, but if Bruice Willis continues to get into Die Hard situations, why not Thor? Thrilling, heartwrenching read. Poor kitty.

reviewer o.c., ca. certainly never saw or read the book. as a shepherd trainer and owner i would have to describe this a combinatin of poetry and fine art. genuinely touching. a remarkable epitaph to a dog that was loved and is missed.

It's entertaining and educational. I really enjoyed. Great gift idea.

This lovely book, a perfect blend of art and cuisine, will satisfy any reader, from the most casual van Gogh fan to the most discriminating foodie and/or art historical specialist. As the subtitle indicates ("Recipes from the Artist's Last Home and Paintings of Café Life"), it's is partly a cookbook, featuring recipes from the Auberge Ravoux, a 19th century inn in the town of Auvers-sur-Oise where van Gogh lived the last seventy days of his life, and where he died.

But don't be misled. This is not just another pretty coffee-table book with yet more pretty color reproductions of "The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum," etc. This is a work of substantive scholarship, but presented in such a way as to be accessible and enjoyable to anyone. The second half of the book, including the recipes, is authored by culinary historian Alexandra Leaf (in cooperation with chef Christophe Bony), who contexualizes the recipes in a larger discussion about van Gogh's time in Auvers and culinary customs of the time. The first half is authored by art historian Fred Leeman, former chief curator of the van Gogh Museum in Amsterdam. His essay, "A Private Life in Public Places," discusses van Gogh's biography, but primarily from the view of his time spent in restaurants and cafés, so it's not the usual story that's been recounted so many times. In addition to discussing more well-known van Gogh paintings like "The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum" or "The Night Café," Leeman also includes lesser-known paintings and drawings that specialists will be happy to see and non-specialists will enjoy learning about. His analyses of the works are clear and persuasive, sometimes offering alternative datings and interpretations. Julia Galosy, who worked with Dominique-Charles Janssens, the current owner of the Auberge Ravoux, in restoring the inn, also contributes a wonderful essay on that specific café and its history. All the authors rightfully avoid the tabloid sensationalism that unfortunately pervades many published treatments of the artist (including those written by evident non-specialists in a lame attempt to make a quick buck).

Handsome illustrations of nearly every van Gogh work mentioned (including some that are rarely illustrated), archival photographs, and lovely photographs of the contemporary incarnation of the Auberge Ravoux and its cuisine, add to the stand-alone value of this book. For those who are interested, there are endnotes in the back of the book, leading readers to specific citations in van Gogh's letters and elsewhere, and a brief but comprehensive bibliography.

On a side note: I purchased and read this book a few months ago in preparation for a visit to Auvers-sur-Oise. My plans included a luncheon at the Auberge Ravoux and a pilgrimage to Vincent's lonely attic room. Reading this book, including Mr. Janssens' forward, was the perfect preparation for my visit. Sitting in the cozy atmosphere of the Auberge and enjoying a three-course luncheon (including the Marinated Herring and Salmon from p. 110, a plat du jour of chicken fricassee [not in the book], and the positively sublime Chocolate Mousse Saboyan from p. 130) was a wonderful experience that I will always treasure. A different experience, more spiritual and moving in character and even more memorable, was the actual visit to Vincent's room upstairs. Mr. Janssens and his associates are to be commended for their dedication to Vincent's memory through their work at the Auberge Ravoux, and the authors and publisher of this book are to be commended for diffusing that work in book form.

While at the Auberge Ravoux, I purchased at the gift shop one of the "torchons" (table linens) embroidered with the name of the auberge (pictured on p. 109). Both it and this book share a place of honor in the van Gogh section of my personal library.

Bon appetit!

The Grandmother's Apple Cake recipe in this book is my favorite recipe on Epicurious so I bought the book hoping the other recipes would be as good. Wow! It was so beautiful and interesting and so much more than a cookbook that I gave it to a good friend as a Christmas gift and ordered another.

This is really half art book, half cookbook. The book is co-written by an art historian (mostly the first part, which recounts Van Gogh's last days, spent in the hotel, when he churned out 70 paintings in 70 days) and Alexandra Leaf, a food historian, who together with the chef at the hotel (which exists to this day) includes recipes for dishes Van Gogh ate. They're fantastic. Highly recommended.

I have enjoyed reading the historical and personalized view of Van Gogh's stay at the Auberge Ravoux. The recipes appear to be ones that can be enjoyed. My husband surprised me with the chocolate mousse the other night and it was the best I have ever eaten.
Compliments to Alexandra Leaf!

In Vincent Van Gogh's brief 37 years, he resided in at least 38 locations spread among four different countries. The Auberge Ravoux inn in northern France was to be the last of Van Gogh's residences, for it is where the artist died in 1890. The author purchased the Auberge Ravoux Inn and renovated it with the help of dedicated craftspersons and turned it into a memorial to the artist

Van Gogh's Table is a collaborative effort that combines an art book with recipes designed to evoke the flavors of Van Gogh's time, along with cultural and culinary history augmented by Van Gogh's illustrations and paintings. Fifty recipes for bistro classics such as Rosemary Roast Chicken with Pan-Fried Potatoes, and Garlic and Warm Tarte Tatin with Crème Fraiche,

A recipe for beef bourguignonne begins with; "In our time-pressed age, such a dish requires that we step back for a moment and remember that some things in life are worth waiting for -- especially stews."

Vincent van Gogh spent much of his life in cafes, hotels, and small inns. These establishments often became the subjects of his paintings, Van Gogh's Table is a unique presentation of culinary history, Van Gogh's artwork, and recipes that transport readers to the Auberge Ravoux in the year of 1890.

As a professional artist and dedicated cook, I found this a uniquely enjoyable book.

This book contains recipes that nutitionally conscious people will love -- while using commonly available ingredients. As exciting as the recipes are, the nutritional information makes this a MUST READ cookbook. LOVE IT !! By incorporating these recipes or ideas into my diet (we still eat meat) and beginning moderate exercise (1hour 3xweek) I have cut my diabetes oral medication by half in less than one month !! Doc says 6mo - 1 year to be medicine free !! (after 3 years of gradually worsening diabetes) This cookbook could save your life !

The recipes in this book are some of the best available if you are serious about eating a healthy diet. They are not only vegetarian but they eliminate the refined oils and sugars which are such a major factor in causing diseases like atherosclerosis, heart disease, adult onset diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol levels. They are the recipes used at the Newstart lifestyle program where they get excellent results with just diet and exercise. The recipes are delicious; we use them in our home all the time. I highly recommend this cookbook to my patients.

a solid good cookbook for those aspiring to the vegan diet. the only drawbacks being that some recipies require hard-to-locate ingredients such as vegan gelatin and smoked yeast. Other than that a very worthwhile purchase for those wishing to eat healthy, etc.

adhealthandwellness recommended this as one of the books that was essential for life. Piper de Vries is deep.

Wonderfully Healthy Recipes...... use it all the time!

Actually, it's probably vice-versa, I think my two sons came to bagels as a result of enjoying this book so much. It's a very charming story, and really wonderful illustrations (We have a few other Grace Lin titles as well). Some of the writing can be a little awkward for reading aloud (especially when you're exhaustedly trying to get your kids to go to sleep), but even still it has brought my family a lot of smiles (and a well-worn catch-phrase heard frequently around our house).

a delightfully simple book with a multi-cultural theme (korea and the usa)...about a little boy in korea wishing for a bagel (which he had never seen nor tasted) and how his community helped to create one and to share in its eating! very well-illustrated and written to be read over and over again.

Bagels. Yum. You know, for years I thought I disliked the tasty carbo-loaded concoctions simply because the only ones I'd ever eaten were of the gawdawful frozen variety. Maybe I would've come to bagels a little sooner in life had I had access to a book like "Where On Earth Is My Bagel?". Taking an essentially ridiculous idea (bagels are the stuff of visions and portent-laden dreams) the book is a nice little tale of a boy and his mini-quest for a good old-fashioned schmear.

Yum Yung, who has lived all his life in Korea, awakes from a mid-afternoon nap one day to declare with very little doubt in his mind, "I want a bagel!". This being rural Korea, New York bagels are (to say the least) a teensy bit scarce. This fact does not deter Yum Yung in the slightest, however. Without further ado he finds himself a pigeon and ties a note to its leg that amounts to a one-bagel order form. The pigeon takes off but no bagel returns to Yum Yung. He asks everyone he knows if they happened to get it by mistake. Sadly, the man working the wheat field hasn't. The fisherman working the salty sea hasn't. Even the woman tending the beehives hasn't. Yet to Yum Yung's delight, the pigeon returns with a bagel recipe (the note explains that bagels older than a day are not exactly edible) and the boy is able to get wheat, salt, and honey from the three people he bugged just the morning before. At the end of the story Yum Yung and his friends create an enormous bagel and sit down to a one-food-only feast of sorts.

The first two pages of the book show the Atlantic Ocean with New York and its tantalizing bagels on one page and Yum Yung, hands pressed dramatically to his chest, on the other. As another reviewer of this book pointed out, this shot is a bit askew, with Korea ending up where Spain could be. My only other grief with the book was that it did not include the recipe that Yum Yung received from New York. Books of this nature are especially good at getting you to crave the items they write of. How hard would it have been to include instructions for making your own? Not everyone lives in New York, after all.

Otherwise, the story's rather sweet. I give a lot of credit to the book for having such a bizarre premise. The pictures will not blow you away and the writing is somewhat pat, but this is a nice little tale that follows the rule of three and has a satisfying and delicious conclusion. A fine little tale for those kids already in love with bagels' chewy ways.

This is the story of Yum Yung in Korea. One day, for some unknown reason, he decides he would like a New York bagel. He send a pigeon with a message to New York to order one bagel to go. When the bagel does not show up right away, Yum Yung decides that he must search for it.

Yum Yung encounters a farmer, a fisherman, a beekeeper, and a baker while searching, but to no avail until suddenly everything comes together and the whole cast gets the chance to enjoy a fresh-baked bagel.

A truly fun story told in just the right way for young readers (repetitive language, etc.). After reading the book, go back to the start and you will notice that while Yum Tung is dreaming of his bagel, all the settings of the story are visible from his hilltop.

The only downside in the book is in the opening illustration that seems to place Korea in the vicinity of France or Spain (East and a little south of New York). Considering the obvious care in the rest of the illustrations I found this rather unusual. But this should not detract from this story of a young boy who has a dream and sets out to make it a reality.

This book contains all of the perfect elements that make a good children's book. It has imajination as the impossible happens. It has repition as the same conversation happens as the main character meets new people. Children just love this as they can predict what is going to happen and can follow along easier. It ends by using parts gleaned from the rest of the story binding it together beautifully. The wonderful solid structure of an absolutely perfect children's book. Beautiful

This very fine history of North America covers 10,000 or so years of exploration and settlement all in one volume. It is written in a clear, concise prose, and although it is loaded with facts and anecdotes it is never dry. Morgan starts out by describing the peopling of North America via the Bering land bridge. Then he moves into the stories of the European explorers and early settlers, and how they deal with the Native Americans. After many hardships and failures, the Spanish end up with permanent settlements in the south, the French in the north and the English on the Atlantic Coast. Morgan then describes the emergence of the Americans and how they eventually dominate the continent and displace Europeans and Native Americans alike.

I highly recommend this if you enjoy American history.

Beginning with the passage of people across the Bering Strait, Wilderness at Dawn : The Settling of the North American Continent takes us through the westward expansion of the United States. Carefull attention is given to the Spanish, French and British influences on the American way of life. An excellent and concise reference for anyone interested in North American History. Easy to read, and full of real life history

Breathtaking approach to a well known subject. History from the people's viewpoint. No dull dates, battles, generals, presidents; but living, breathing stories by and of the most unique and most common. Must also read Shovel of Stars, the sequel (also 10)

Ted Morgan's "Wilderness at Dawn" is one of the best of a crop of North American colonial histories published since 1990. Rather than a comprehensive history, it is a series of incidents that add up to a very readable whole. Morgan begins with pre-Columbian history and goes on to relate the experiences of the Spanish, French, Dutch, and various flavors of English colonies. One of my favorite stories is how the godly Pilgrims found themselves neighbors to a riotous colony led by one Thomas Morton. Before Miles Standish put their rivals out of business, Morton's drunken crew traded guns and booze to the Indians in exchange for beaver pelts and sexual favors. Anyone who believes history is boring has not read Ted Morgan's and other recent works about the American colonies. The last section of this book addresses the problems of post-Revolutionary War colonization, including chapters about the appalling dangers of trans-Appalachian settlement and about how the Old Northwest was surveyed.

Reading these first person accounts of day-to-day and moment-to-moment life in pre-Colonial America gave me such an appreciation for what our predecessors went through to make our country the great one it is today. This is the book our children should read in their American history classes. Exceptionally well-written, with a "you are there" feel to it. Makes me want to learn more about the young George Washington after reading about his escape from the center of the freezing river. Well-written, entertaining and informative. I'm lapsing into cliches, but this book is a MUST READ. Just brilliant. You'll admire the everyday people who built our country one day at a time, and never tire of reading about their adventures. I hated to see it end, so thank God there's a sequel!

I am a native of the Bay Area and have had the pleasure of seeing this bakery for myself. I found out about it through this cookbook as i have moved away from the beautiful city of San Fancisco. When I arrived and got out of the cab, I fell in love immediately. You could smell the bakery from a block away (they do in fact have another store just around the corner), but it really is like stepping into a boulangerie that you would find in Europe. I was greeted by some of the friendliest people I have ever encountered in any retail setting and so it was not a surprise that I bought or sampled almost everything in the store. This cookbook, though not as good as actually stepping into BAY BREAD for yourself, is excellent and will suit any cook. The ambiance of BAY BREAD is all confined in this wondeful cookbook. Anyone visiting the Bay Area or living there presently should check BAY BREAD out. YOU WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED! THIS COOKBOOK IS ONE THAT WILL ENRICH ANYONE'S BAKING AND COOKING!

The book is wonderful, but why does it cost so much on Amazon out of all the places, when in reality the book costs only $34.95 (it's printed on the cover!!!).

There have been many wonderful and pinpoint reviews of Pascal's tome, so I will spare everyone the repetition of accolades. But it is necessary to make note that he has indeed surpassed my hope of what a truly good teaching tool a book needs to be in order to live up to it's promise. He has profoundly succeeded in his effort. Starting with the "levain" for the basic breads to the delicacies of pastries, he guides you with his wealth of knowledge based on years of experience and true love of this art. As he states, you do not become an expert overnight, but through trial and error; he tells you that this is a normal expectation as you perfect this amazing ability to bring life to food. I would caution that this is a book that caters a bit more to the experienced baker, or someone with a little more knowledge of baking, but do not let that keep you from appreciating the joy you will feel as you read and apply the education that this book gives you. Bon appetit!!

The book makes you dream. The pictures are phenomenal; you have the feeling that yes, you can do it. Palcal Rigo makes you feel that what he does is natural, that he is sharing with you recipes so simple, yet so good. The book is an extension of what he does in his retail shops and his restaurant: simple yet exceptionally good food, natural ingredients.
I loved the feeling of the book, the "family cooking" tone to it, the colors. You can almost feel the ambiance of the room where pastries are made by bakers.

If, as it appeared when I started reading this book, that Pascal Rigo's cookbook was to be about nothing more than bread (as Boulangerie in French means bakery), it would have been a worthy book. In that case, it would have been similar to Nancy Silverton's excellent `Breads from the La Brea Bakery'. But, it covers a much broader range of goods, including many things typically found in a Patisserie plus a wide range of `tartines' and sandwiches. Thus, it essentially covers the range of Silverton's three books on bread, pastry, and sandwiches, although not in a great a depth as Silverton in her three titles.

From the evidence of this book, it seems to me that the author's bakery, Boulangerie Bay Bread is one of the establishments which continues to keep San Francisco on the short list of American cities for really great cuisine. It is also evidence of the place of French baking as the first among equals with the two other great centers of European baking traditions, the Italians (primarily bread) and the Austrians (primarily pasteries).

In the making of bread, this book is not for the uncommitted. It starts with directions for making a classic `Levain Nature' or bread starter, including instructions for how to keep it alive, how to refresh it for use, and how to use it. This chapter brings back memories of the chapter in Tony Bourdain's `Kitchen Confidential' book which deals with a totally off the wall baker who maintained a really obnoxious sponge, but made terrific bread. But I digress. The next sections in the chapter on bread give recipes for various artisinal breads based on this starter. What is odd is that there is no recipe for baguettes, and no explanation for its absence. This chapter has the only really puzzling recipe instruction. In the list of ingredients for whole wheat bread, there is a call for six and a half to eight cups of organic whole-wheat flour. I immediately expected to see directions for preparing the dough with the Italian well method of bringing in only as much flour as you need, but there was nothing like that. The instruction is to simply dump all the flour into a large bowl and mix with starter, water, and salt. Very, very strange. With the emphasis on using organic wheat and European butter, I was surprised to find most measurements in volume rather than weight. This is odd, but it fits the direction of the book as covering a broad range of French baking and pastry products, not just bread. If bread is what you want, I recommend either Nancy Silverton's book cited above or Peter Reinhart's `The Baker's Apprentice' or Rose Levy Beranbaum's `The Bread Bible'. You can come back to Rigo's book for some specialties such as `Fougasse sur Plaque', the French answer to foccacia.

After bread comes Croissants and Pastries. The highlights of this chapter are the recipe for puff pastry, various types of croissants (actually created in Vienna, not Paris), brioche, and some pastries derived from brioche. If you are thrilled with the idea of making brioche, I recommend you check out Nancy Silverton's recipe. I believe it may be a bit better.

The next chapter presents savory tarts and sandwiches. Savory tarts are really France's answer to Italy's pizza and for someone who is adept at good pie dough (pate brisee), these tarts may be a lot easier than the pride of Naples flatbread and sauce. The highlight of this theme is the pizza du boulanger with tomatoes, olives, anchovies, and Parmesan on a pate brisee crust. The quiche Lorraine recipe without bacon is much less fussy than what one may find in most pastry shops. Tartines are open-faced sandwiches, many of which are a meal in themselves such as the Nicoise Open Faced Sandwich. As the name suggests, it is a Salad Nicoise done up on a large slice of Pain au Levain, a classic hard crusted bread. The sandwiches, tartines, and tarts in this chapter are worth the price of admission, which, for an oversized book of this caliber, is very reasonable.

The next chapter is house specialities headlined by pastries from Bordeaux, Rigo's home province in France (I found it especially charming that Rigo settled in San Francisco after a stint in Los Angles because `Frisco reminded him very much of his southwestern France). This chapter includes recipes for Madeleines, pound cakes, spice cakes, almond cookies, several types of macaroons, and a glamorous Chocolate Buche de Noel (Yule Log) plus a lemon version of same. Just for show, the author also includes a recipe for a chocolate Marquise. Good luck with this one. The author had to track down some near antique molds from the 1930's in order to make them. Interesting if you are really looking for a quest.

The next chapter covers country style pasteries starting with recipes for a sweet tart dough and pastry cream. The chapter primarily covers sweet tarts, galettes, and cakes.

The next chapter deals with crepes and starts with something of a puzzle. It calls large buckwheat crepes with savory filling a `galette'. I always thought a galette was made with a pate brisee type dough. Since the author says these galettes / crepes are from Brittany, it may be a regional thing. The chapter ends with some famous crepe recipes such as crepes Suzette.

The last chapter covers recipes suitable for children. The author says, they are not simplified, just naturally more suitable to less experienced hands.

Rigo's story of growing up in France and becoming a professional baker in the apprentice system repeats many similar stories of French culinary stars transplanting themselves to the United States. If you are really interested in making bread, come back to this book after reading Reinhart or Beranbaum. If you want yummy French classic pastries, this book is for you.

I was impressed with both the quality and contents of this book. Mr. Kishimoto not only provides readers with amazing art (colorful and huge!), but also a variety of thoughts and concepts behind each of the 75 drawings (how they relate to the overall Naruto world, technical art details, etc.) There are also bonuses: a detailed description of how the cover art was made, a gallery (small, greyscale) of Shonen Jump covers featuring Naruto, and interview material. Believe it!

Short and sweet: If you like the artwork of Naruto, you won't be disappointed with this book. I especially liked Masashi Kishimoto's walkthrough of the cover art and his interpretation of squad 7 as a rock band (although I would have made Sasuke the guitarist as the guitarist and singer are always vying for the camera's attention but that's a personal choice). Several of the pieces would be excellent poster fodder. Highly recommended!

My daughters (pre-teens and teens) likes these types of books. It's not my favotite but it's theirs. And to encourage their love in reading, I do allow them to read some books of their choices in additional to the more academic choices books.

This book's art is top notch. Kishimoto's full color panels are collected here and they don't disappoint. What really makes this book worthwhile though is the Q&A and commentary from Kishimoto and the step by step guide through his creative process. Well worth the price.

Kishimoto Masashi's /Naruto/ art book is just as it sounds: Another manga \ pictures from the creator art book. It's been done before. The only people who would probably appreciate it are art students interested in comics, or fans of the popular Naruto series. However, for those who do buy this book, well, it's beautiful, to say the very least.

The book separated into sections, each containing a poem or snippet I assume was written by Kishimoto-san. For the publishers, VIZ Media, what I praise most about this book is the fact that they left the original Japanese print that went along with some of the pictures and translated off to the side. For some, this might be a nuisance, but for a student of the language, it's a good way to test themselves.

Now, onto the book itself. Most of the pictures are cover spreads or pictures that have appeared on the cover of /Shonen Jump/ magazine. Thus, they have more than likely been seen by fans before. However, these pictures are uninterrupted by the text that goes on the covers of that magazine, and have - in the back of the book, sort of like the index - an explanation from Kishimoto-san himself explaining the thought processes and work that went into every picture. The art showcases pictures drawn up to volume twenty-four of the manga.

The extras include an interview with Kishimoto-san basically speaking more of the creation of Naruto and ideas he puts into motion. Also, there is a step-by-step feature of how to draw the front cover using the same tools as Kishimoto-san himself.

In the end, this book is a great buy for Naruto fans and those who want to learn from Kishimoto-san's style. Or for those who just respect the art. However, in the end, it was made for fans of the series, just as all manga art books are.

I have owned this series for many years, there are three altogether. You get a good basic understanding of how astrology works with this series. I would recommend them to anyone just beginning to learn and as a reference for a professional as well. They are true to form.

Frances Sakoian's The Astrology of Human Relationships is a must have for any Astrologer. She goes through all the planet/sign combinations with their aspects in the book, describing indepth, the good and the bad of compatibility between two charts. Of course you must have a basic understanding of the signs, planets and what conjunctions, trines, squares, etc., are. It puts a new spin on what "A's Mercury conjunct B's Uranus" means as well as well as what "A's Venus in B's fourth house" means. I would recommend this book to anyone studying Astrology. It is definitely a book for my library.

a must have for everyone tries to learn astrology. Easy to read/use

A comparison of the horoscopes of two people can yield much useful information about whether they will be attracted to each other and, if a relationship occurs, what the nature of that relationship is likely to be. This book is an excellent introduction to how to make such horoscope comparisons and contains the detailed information required for doing so. Incidentally, although horoscope comparisons are often done to see the potential for a successful romantic relationship or marriage, such comparisons are equally valid for any two people including siblings, coworkers, etc.

I bought this excellent reference book years ago and use it on a regular basis. Brief but well written descriptions of how planets in one persons chart affect the others persons life. Example: A's Sun in B's 4 house, as well as inter-planetary aspects. I'd quickly get another copy of this book if I lost mine. My library would not be complete without it.