California Books

I have several cookbooks, but this is by far my favorite. I have never used a cookbook as often as I do this book, and I have consistently had great results. So far my husband and I have tried about 20 things out of this book, and they have all been delicious--cocktails, appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, and desserts.

The best part about this book is the simplicity. Most of the recipes in this book don't have a ton of ingredients, and the ingredients it calls for are usually things I have on hand, or I just need to get a few easy (and inexpensive)items. That is my main problem with other cookbooks that I own: they are beautiful to look at and the food is indeed delicious, but many of the ingredients are things I would never have on hand and I end up spending a lot of money just to get everything I need.

This cookbook has consistently produced delicious results with very little effort. The ingredients are remarkably simple in some of the dishes and it just makes cooking out of this book a really fun experience. I love the Southern California theme too. I am from San Diego and these recipes really do capture the casual yet elegant style of America's Finest City.

I have set a goal for myself that I am going to try every recipe in this book. It may take a little time, but I am looking forward to trying everything--and as I said before, I've never wanted to do that with any other cookbook. My other cookbooks look really pretty on my shelf but don't get nearly as much use as this one, because this one is not intimidating and doesn't require a huge shopping list to prepare the food.

I highly recommend this book. I'm getting one for my mom for Christmas too.

I got this book as a gift for my in-laws and my parents and they LOVE IT. The recepies are easy, yet sophisticated and the instructions are so simple even those handicapped in the kitchen are able to make all of the recepies. Easy to follow recipes, vivid pictures, and amazing food. A great buy!!

This is a fabulous cookbook. Everything I have made has been highly complimented by all who taste. I love the drink recipes, the Ultimate Sangria is to die for! The great introductions to each meal are a great read as well. The best part about the purchase is you know that your money is not only going to help you make good food, but to help Junior League of San Diego. This cook book is a worthy purchase!

Please buy this wonderful cookbook from the Junior League of San Diego. You only pay $[...] plus tax & shipping and the proceeds will directly benefit the community projects run by the Junior League.

By far this is my favorite cookbook to own and give as a gift for bridal showers, birthdays, or the holidays. I love that it includes recipes for cocktails. :-) I've given this as a gift to women AND men and have been warmly thanked by all. It even earned the approval of my boyfriend's sister, who has a Master's degree in Public Health from Johns Hopkins. She is a tough critic when it comes to food and was impressed by the variety in California Sol Food and the light, healthy dishes. Buy your own copy (or 2) today!

California Sol Food is my favorite cookbook with easy to follow recipes, beautiful photos, delicious results!!! I have a huge collection of cookbooks but I have found this book to be perfect for casual but elegant entertaining, San Diego style.

I bought this book after I saw some of Don Normark's pictures in a local gallery. I was impressed with his work that I had to have the book. After reading the book and trying to see the pictures as he did, I realized that this was more that just a photo book. This was history and how these people lived. This could have been written in 2008, the same problems and the same actions by the government that was felt then is still seems to be happening now. I have read other books written about the city of Los Angeles during the years before and this book helps me understand the people who lived there better.

I became aware of Chavez Ravine when I purchased a CD of music by Ry Cooder about the subject. Until that time I would have been unlikely to come across information about this amazing part of LA because I live in New Zealand and we are on the other side of the world - downunder you might say!

However, I have now been to Los Angeles a couple of times, in transit, and so feel as if I have a partial idea of the scale of this city and its surrounds.

I was therefore intrigued to see someone with a copy of this book and promptly looked for it on Amazon's website.

I now have even more insights into this community and it only further amazes me that the land that was home to so many immigrant families could just be taken out from under them - something I feel is quite shameful.

I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who wants to look into the past and read about the immigrant communities in the United States and how they are often overlooked and mistreated.....and then almost forgotten, but for people like Don Normark bringing their world to the fore.

My in-laws are of the families uprooted from La Loma-now Dodger Stadium. I'm looking forward to reading about the history of this long, forgotten place.

Nestled in the hills between downtown Los Angeles and Pasadena is Chávez Ravine, site of Dodger Stadium and its acres of parking lots. Few baseball fans here could tell you that long before the Dodgers left Brooklyn, Chávez Ravine was the home of three communities of Mexican-American laborers and their families.

Don Normark, a young photographer in 1948, was climbing in the hills looking for postcard-shot views of LA when he discovered La Loma, Palo Verde, and Bishop. Each neighborhood was a rambling cluster of buildings, dirt streets, and footpaths. The wooded slopes of Elysian Park overlooked the ravine, and beyond were the peaks of the San Gabriel Mountains. He felt he had found another world -- a kind of Shangri-La. For many months, he returned to take pictures of what he saw and of the people he met there. He didn't know that he was recording on film the daily life of a place and its people that was about to disappear.

The pictures, of course, are black and white, a rich range of gray tones and contrasts under the cloudless southern California sky. In a casual street scene, two men stand talking on the hard dirt, and a third, his back to them, leans across a low concrete wall. All is in sharp focus from the dusty tire track in the foreground to the pointed tower of City Hall nudging up over a darkly wooded ridge in the distance. The mid-afternoon light reflects brightly off one man's tee shirt and from the front of a small white house farther on. Meanwhile, the shadows cast by eaves, palm fronds, parked cars, and the men themselves are deeply dark.

There are many pictures of people, of all ages. Some look into the camera. Most are busy working, walking, talking, playing. A young girl wears her confirmation dress. A boy watches his father repair a car. Two men spar under branches thick with bougainvillea blossoms. An iceman stands in an open gateway, tongs slung over one shoulder. A young woman arranges flowers on an altar. A workman returns home along a winding footpath at the end of the day (see book jacket above).

Fifty years later, Normark gathered together his pictures and began looking for the people who had once lived in Chávez Ravine. This book is an album of those pictures, with commentary by the people he found, in their own words. Normark writes simply and clearly about himself and his experiences. Like his photographs, his writing style is sharply focused. In the opening pages of the book, he describes the forced relocation of the people of Chávez Ravine during the Fifties, and the various public and private interests contending for control of its development. Normark's book is both handsome and beautifully written, a fine example of text and image illuminating each other.

This book is full of classic, socially-conscious photography that bears a spiritual kinship with Dorothea Lange's Depression Era photos of Dustbowl Families. The images are doubly rich: as Old School black and white images shot on a reasonable speed film, with a broad and caress-ably subtle range of grays, and also as a record of a time and place that was stolen, and will simply never be again.

For those who don't know the story, in a nutshell: The residents of Chavez Ravine, who were almost entirely Latino, were offered the promise that their community would be replaced by public housing as part of a renewal project of sorts. (Some had called their neighborhood blighted.) But as the land acquisition proceeded, and as various official pledges were reneged and political cards played (including exploitation of the then current fear of creeping Socialism/Communism-- after all, I ask you, what could be more unAmerican than affordable replacement housing?), the project proved to be a lie. The final hold-outs at Chavez Ravine were bodily removed by deputies as the last remnants of the neighborhood were cleared to make way for a sports field and parking lot. (!)

This volume is great because these photos, which speak so eloquently of one specific place and time, also speak clearly of universal things. Children play; young couples tie the knot as family celebrates; honest and good people work to protect what is theirs, to better their lot, and just to get by. -- It is about nothing less than the struggle and joy of life itself.

If there is any uplift to the wistful story this book tells in beautiful images and words, it is in that the displaced people survived, persevered, and that their old home, and what happened there, is remembered today.

Sometimes, you have to search for the bright spot. A thought-provoking read. Recommended.

I picked up this book after my dog died, and I was feeling really lousy and depressed. My heart was warmed by these tales submitted by ordinary folks just like me. This book put a smile on my face. It also will remind you to be thankful for what you have, which will make you feel good no matter what. The stories will not disappoint. Often they seem like made up miracles, but they are all true! The authors found people with uplifting tales from daily life, proving that truth is more inspirational than fiction! If you are feeling down this is the book for you, it helped me immensely!

I personally have not read the entire book because I purchased it for my sister as one of her christmas gifts but the stories are both comforting and encouraging a good book for those in the snow belt to curl up with a nice hot cup of cocoa and read by the fireplace

For me, there is no better medicine than a cup of chamomile or orange ginger tea and a book of inspirational stories. So it is with A Cup of Comfort : Stories that warm your heart, lift your spirit, and enrich your life. This book, slices of life of those, who stop and honor what still matters in this country, the commonality and wonder of the human spirit.

Some of the stories are several pages long and others like Lynn Ruth Miller's Sing Your Song, is only two pages long, yet packs a powerful message of perseverance. The Crying Chair by May Marcia Lee Norwood tells of a teacher's compassion for her students' need to express their pain and The Lady in the Blue Dress by Edie Scher is a testament to the power of faith.

This book is by my bed and I indulge myself in one of the stories several times a week and promises to be a mainstay in my collection of inspirational reading. I applaud the editor, Colleen Sell for her vision for the Cup of Comfort concept and the Adams Media Corporation for believing in it, which has branched into a series. There is also A Cup of Comfort for Friends and the upcoming A Cup of Comfort Cookbook and A Cup of Comfort for Women of which I am proud to be a contributor.

With a new introduction and several new stories, A Cup of Comfort Classic Edition will bring joy and inspiration to another decade of readers. This is the book that started the Cup of Comfort series, and it is as good as it was years ago when first published. The stories are so varied- some funny, some warm, some sad, yet all carrying a message of hope and inspiration. You can read the book from cover to cover when feeling blue, or pick it up and read a story a day - either way your spirits will be lifted when reading the words in this classic book about real people who experience miracles or the simple joy of human compassion and kindness.

Boy, talk about timely books! A Cup of Comfort is what this nation needs to heal. I picked up this book and couldn't stop reading. The stories are truely amazing! It is in times like these that we need a pick me up and this is a cup we acan all share. I was particularly impressed with The Lady in the Blue Dress by Edie Scher and Crossing Paths by Jamie D'Antoni. These stories show that anything can happen if you are open to the possiblities. I hope to see more from these two ladies...they are very talented and have a good grasp on storytelling. I would recommend this book to everyone!

With "Cut My Hair," Jamie Rich has recreated the mythos of the early '90s music scene as seen through the eyes of one who had lived during the time. (No, it's true... there was some good stuff going on back then, though coming on the tail of the Decade of Greed, those who lived during the time are characteristly cynical over any reminder of said years.)

Mason, the narrator/protagonist of the novel, could concievably be a real-life person. None of his insights, emotions, or actions are one-sided. In fact, he most resembles a modern-day depiction of J. D. Salinger's Holden Caulfield, though somewhat more adjusted to the life in which he lives. And a life of glamour and rock 'n' roll it is not! Mason abides with parental apathy, poverty-line conditions, and a super-heated drought-stricken California, while discovering that life holds none of the Hollywood-esque promise made to his generation. In Mason's life of change and uncertainty, the only possession to which he places any trust and security is his leather jacket - his shell.

This book delves into the alternative music scene, and successfully captures its heart and soul. It doesn't apologize for retroactive weaknesses, because it doesn't feel it has to. It's merely presenting a backdrop which is as rich and vibrant as Mason and his inextricable band of friends and associates.

Most of the sporadic artwork contained therein equally displays a good feel for the characters and their times (Andi Watson's efforts especially accomplish this; Judd Winick's, not so much), and give the book a considerable amount of character.

Fantastic book, well-deserving of multiple readings.

Cut My Hair is written by former Oni Press Editor Jamie S. Rich with illustrations by such noted comic book artists as Judd Winick, Chynna Clugston-Major, Scott Morse, Mike Allred and Andi Watson, with the title taken from the Who song of the same name off of their Quadrophenia album. As I am a huge fan of both comic books and The Who, Cut My Hair sounded like it was right up my alley. Cut My Hair is a smart, well written, coming of age story. It's also about being in love, not only with another person, but with music. Specifically, Punk rock music.

Set in the early 90's, Cut My Hair is narrated by 19-year old Mason, who lives with his best friend Jack. Jack isn't just his best friend, but also his protector and as close to family as anyone he knows, as Jack hasn't spoken to his abusive, alcoholic mother since he moved out after High School. Nicknamed "Jailbate" (incorrect spelling intended) because of his small size and stature, Mason's life consists of working full time at a comic store, going to Punk rock shows and pining away for Laine, his High School crush. As with all things in life, nothing stays the same. Mason's life begins to change, as he meets and falls passionately in love with Jeane. Before Mason can fully enjoy his newfound happiness, an event occurs which sends him over the edge into a deep, alcohol-fueled despair, from which even the music he loves cannot save him.

Cut My Hair, filled with the longing and heartache of teenage angst, explores both the lifestyle and the music of the Los Angles Punk rock scene of the early 90's with authority and affection. Regardless of whether you're a Punk or not, you'll be quickly drawn into this fascinating, often violent world that, in it's own way, is infused with an underlying sense of romanticism, hope and love.

OMG! This book was amazing. I read about this book a few years ago in some music magazine. Somehow, I remembered the title and decided to look it up on amazon. I found it and ordered it and I am greatful I did. Jamie S. Rich did an excelent in developing the character of Mason. The way he uses the first person and really captures what it is like to be a teenager who feels like he doesn't fit in. He finds a way to really show the ups and downs in a teen's life. I could not put this book down. I would recomend it to anyone. I could not have agreed more with the musical taste in this book. And I was able to see myself through Mason. If you are a teenager or not, this book is definetly one to read!!!

I bought this book on a whim. As many of the people who have read it, I first heard of it through Oni Press. And I was not disappointed one bit.

My reaction was surprising most of all to me, since I've made the analysis of literary works my life (and my degree). There's nothing about this book that makes it astoundingly unique compared to all the other coming-of-age novels out there. But that's the beauty of it.

For different people with different experiences, certain elements of this book resonate on a deeper level than can be described. For those who cannot live without their music and all that's connected therein. For those who have the small store job and find happiness just fine. For those yearning away for the "Eternal Girl."

For me, who suddenly recognized a very close friend and was delighted at last to know who he was. I showed my friend this book and he wondered how on earth this author had picked up scenes from his life like they were pennies lying face-up on the ground. He started telling me about concerts he'd driven half the day to get to, fights he'd been in wondering who he was fighting... life's realization. Music. Friendship. Love.

So, for me, up to my neck in all the Shakespeare, Hemingway, and Palahniuk I can stand-- and this is my favorite of them all. There's something about it that just resonates deep inside. I *know* Mason. I know him even better now. His name may not be Mason, but he's got all the bad haircuts and scars to prove otherwise.

I bought this thinking it was a graphic novel, after enjoying Blue Monday and Scooter Girl.

It's not. Just a novel.

Caveat Emptor.

The author has created a much reveered book of the much covered, but not completely truthfully told, 1906 event.
Almost as soon as the dust began to settle, the facts were "ammended" to create a more publicly acceptable slant on the day: The number of people killed is still contested today, over 100 years since the event. The author puts forward her view, ably supported, as to why the figures of the day were inaccurate, and the effects that had.
Great book, one I'd recommend.

I received this book as a gift and I loved it then and still love it now. After seeing the PBS (television) show on this subject I became intrigued and wanted to learn more.
This book does not disappoint. It goes into great detail as to what really happened in 1906 (whether it was reported by the Media or not).

During the 1906 S.F Earthquake (aka: "The 1906 FIRE") the media was influenced by the politicians (& other institutions) , and this book shows what might have truly happened. Well researched.

I got this book because it was so highly recommended, after I had finished reading the fiction, 1906. That book gave a lot of information that was new to me, even though I grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, and my father worked in SF. This book is simply incredible. The amount of photographs of all kinds, including panoramic scenes meant for stereotopic viewers that were popular at that time, and postcards that were 'colored' made this book an incredible find. Not only have I been through it several times, but also I brought it back to my father and mother who were in awe of the detail and the photography provided by the author of this book. Her information concerning individuals, concerning the inability of the fire companies to successfully fight any of the fires (water pipes were broken as were roads made inaccessible)...intrigued me and my father who was a civil engineer.

Then my nephew who is studying at a nearby college came and went through the book, as he is studying urban planning. He was very interested in the modern day SF and the author's explanations of why SF is in an even more precarious position should another quake as strong as the 1906 quake happen, due to continued ignoring of the need for quake proof buildings and water lines, breaks between houses, the fact that SF actually has less fire departments now then in 1906 and other major problems.

I love San Francisco as a city and where I grew up, but quite frankly, I would never dream of moving back there, partly because of this book. Yet there are other cities equally at risk over poor urban planning (new Orleans for one), and this book would be a good required reading for those going into urban planning and environmental impact on human populations.

A truly great book...

Karen Sadler

As somewhat of a history buff, this book fascinated me. The photos are simply astounding and easy to get lost in. If you're interested in the real story of the quake, check out the DVD documentary "Disaster by the Bay", also available here. I've seen all the documentaries on this subject and "Disaster" is the best by far.

This book is the must have for anyone interested in this history of San Francisco. As a fifth generation native of the "City" who had reilitives who lived through this natural disaster, I can wholeheartedly say that this is the the quinticental book on the subject. It is filled with never before published pictures of both the distruction and the notiable public figures of the day. and dose a very good job of correcting some of the misinformation attributed to the original official record of the earthquake and fire. Simple a great book.

It is amazing to see the scope of the body of work he produced during this time period, LIFE was pissed at him Magnum fed up! All the world didn't understand his need to see! This book shows the work in full! wonderful buy.

I purchased Dream Street after reading about the Pittsburgh Project and what it ment to Eugene Smith. I think it's an important book for anyone interested in Photography, Photojournalism or Eugene Smith. The size and quality of the prints is quite allright for the price paid. And the photos are the best part. Great book!

This book was bought for Christmas for my husband who just loves photography. He has had this on his must have list for some time so he was delighted with it.

This book does a great job in documenting not only W. Eugene Smith's four years of extensive research and photographing Pittsburgh, PA but it also reveals a torment man's struggle in trying to capture something that we will never understand since his 6000 photographs of Pittsburgh set a standard for not only documenting a city but he also raise the bar in the artistic expression of black & white photography. The prints of Smith's work in this book are very good and edited quite nicely, included are some of the photograper's letters to his friend and relatives revealing the thoughts of a troubled genius in words that show he could have been a great writer, too.

I'm a Pittsburgh native, though I was born after the pictures were made. Still, I found Dream Street to be an interesting perspective on my hometown. Smith's special gift is looking beyond the typical "beauty shots"- the Pittsburgh skyline, the parks, etc., and capturing images that create a strong feeling of the local neighborhoods and their residents. While the topology of Pittsburgh creates strong local neighborhoods, it's the mix of residents that really gives it character. Local restaurants, the alleys and streets of some of the less glamourous sections of the city, and the sense of history and grandeur of Mellon Bank downtown. This book is a great opportunity to step into the past and feel the grit of a true industrial city. Smith's personal genius - and his demons- heavily influnce the project. We're fortunate to be able to benefit from his views after the fact. Special credit has to go to the editors for wading through the 17,000 images Smith shot to get down to the highlights for this book.

I am a [...] student and I have read the entire Eagles Encyclopedia. I am a consistent reader and, being one of the biggest Eagles fans, have to say this is my favorite book of all time. It consists of everything you want and need to know to be a true Eagles fan. I would even recommend this to non-Eagles fans. It includes:

*The Frankford Yellowjackets
*Bert Bell and the founding of the Eagles
*All of the big time Eagles players in history
*A complete recap of the Eagles greatest moments including The Miracle in the Meadowlands, Cunninghams 91 yard punt, 99 yards:Jaworski to Quick, and more.
*An All-Time Roster
*Scores and Schedule for every Philadelphia Eagles season

and more!

I highly recommend this book to everyone. Ray Didinger is an amazing writer and I also recommend his latest book "One Last Read."

This one-of-a-kind almanac of facts about the Philadelphia Eagles would make the perfect gift for any Eagles Fan.

The book is really great. The history of Philadelphia football is very good. The stats are absolutely remarkable. I often refer to the book during an Eagles game. Every Eagles fan should own this gem.

The Eagles Encyclopedia is a great tool for your guide to the Philadelphia Eagles past and present. A franchise with this much history, The Philadelphia Eagles need to have their stories told. From Bednariks' hit on Gifford in the 1960 playoffs to Superbowl 39 it's all there. Great book.

A comprehensive easy read. Full of facts, and interesting stories about the franchise that is really "America's" team. Little bios of many of the personalities that have worn the green and white. Every time I opened up the book there was something new to learn. Written for the everyday Joe, you will not be dissapointed if you love the Eagles. The Eagles are my squad so this may be slightly biased... Shout out to Randall...

In "Earthquake Exodus, 1906", Richard Schwartz takes a look at the chain of events immediately following the 1906 earthquake from an entirely new and refreshing perspective. Instead of rehashing the enormous, well-documented physical destruction wrought by the earthquake in San Francisco, Santa Rosa, and elsewhere, Schwartz relates a number of facts and stories that he uncovered for the first time. For example, his extensive research has uncovered eyewitness accounts of the tidal wave that struck the East Bay shortly after the earthquake.

But Mr. Schwartz devotes most of this fascinating book to telling us how and to where refugees fled; where they were welcome and where they weren't; how they were fed and housed; how they re-connected with their loved ones; how they passed the hours of the day in the first weeks after the disaster; how their rescuers and benefactors organized the relief effort as well as themselves; and more. His book also provides a very interesting discussion of how the 1906 earthquake affected population growth and development in Berkeley and Albany.

The book is a refreshing look at the human aftermath of the earthquake and is also a tribute to the people of the City of Berkeley, who performed magnificently and from whose perspective much of the story is told. This book should be required reading for those responsible for ensuring public order, health, and other preparations after the next earthquake. Bravo, Richard, and please keep up your outstanding work!

Tom Panas
President, El Cerrito Historical Society

I had the honor of meeting Richard Schwartz at the 1906 Earthquake Expo in San Francisco during the week of April 18 and saw his book on display. As a former Bay Area resident and who survived the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, I wanted to add this book to my collections on earthquakes. I found the pictures to be outstanding and these photos were not in any other book so it was a treat to see them here. I never realized how much of a role Berkeley played in the 1906 quake and I was very informed of that in this book. It wasn't just San Francisco that was hard hit, but also places like Berkeley and the East Bay was hit too. I definitely would recommend this book if you're into earthquakes and information.

See a need and fill it. That's what Richard Schwartz has done so successfully with his books, and thank goodness. Like a preminition of sorts he has provided the reading community with a look inside the City of Berkeley's post-earthquake relief efforts which had been virtually untouched until now. Thankyou Mr. Schwartz for bringing the unsung into the light, time and time again. What will this author do for an encore? Whatever it is will make us appreciate his efforts all the more. His passion for reinvigorating things past makes that famous truism current: history never gets old, and explainers never go jobless.

Earthquake Exodus, 1906, is not a dry read by any means. Richard Schwartz brings to life a traumatic period of time. He shows us how the spirit of helping one another shines through. This book strengthens my belief that, in times of crisis, our best nature surfaces. The book highlights the spirit of giving that we displayed recently as part our recent disasters (the tsunami in South-East Asia, Hurricane Katrina, etc.). Richard's current book is a great addition to his "Circle of Stones" and "Berkeley 1900." I'm looking forward to what this author does next.

An excellent piece of history about one of the worst U.S.
natural disasters. It's full of great photos, many never published before (where did he get all of them!?)of the time before and after the quake. My favorite thing about the book is that he tells numerous personal stories of the people affected, stories that make you really think about how YOU might have reacted to such a disaster. It's amazing to think how the good people of Berkeley, right across the bay, managed to do such good work to provide for thousands of San Francisco refugees without any government help!(O.K., now you know my political leanings). Compare Katrina now to 1906 reactions. read this book!

I think this book is terrific, however, I have ME AND Fibromyalgia. (chronic fatigue with chronic pain everywhere). Does anyone know of a great book on this subject?

Thank you, Cyn

I suffer from CFS and I find this book has helped me quite a lot. It's clearly and well written, gatherig all the main facts about this complex illness.

I was diagnosed with post-viral CFS in 1988. This book is an excellent description of living with CFS except for one thing: 3/4 of marriages affected by chronic illness break up, which means that most of us don't have the live-in support system she had.

Some disbelieving doctors like to attribute CFS to "secondary gain" or enablers who allow the patient to "enjoy the sick role". Unfortunately, for many CFS patients, there's no enabler and the only thing you gain is the stress of trying to make ends meet with no income.

Wall tells of having someone run her bath, gently wash her, dress her, and help her back to bed. That's a luxury most of us don't enjoy. If I'm not well enough to cook, I don't get dinner; if I cannot safely get in and out of the tub by myself, I don't bathe (on a cold winter day when I needed a bath to warm up, I got stuck in the tub for over an hour because I lacked the strength to boost myself up and out, and there was no one to call for help).

Wall's live-in support structure allowed her to do what those of us who live alone can't: use all her energy to write a book to explain to the rest of the world what it's like to be trapped in a body and brain that don't function.

I recommend this not only to patients, but to their friends and family as one of the best patient-written books I've read.

I found this to be an excellent book on CFIDS. I too suffer from it and feel sometimes I am the only one in my corner of the world that has it. It is helpful to read about someone else who has the same symptoms so I realize I am not " losing it" and it is real. The author also provides comphrensive data relating to medical, historical, and social aspects of this troubling illness. I would highly suggest this to people who have CFIDS and those who want to learn more about it. It is a a very readable book that is packed with information and is not boring or dry.

I have suffered from CFS since the late 70's although I was able to "push" through the majority of those years. I am now back in an accute phase and found Dorothy Wall's book fascinating , beautifully written and helpful. It helped make my illness real for me since I have never "looked" ill and have learned to doubt that what I have is real. I found it a story of the truth, which was most refreshing and inspiring.

I liked this book, and I think you should get it - but watch out - there's a big surprise waiting!

Finding Jesus, Discovering Self is a buffet table sort of a book, a collection of Bible stories about Jesus, first person stories from the authors, poems and quotes from writers famous and otherwise, and directions to help the reader reflect, react and respond to the ideas presented in the stories. Ok so far, the bible stories are familiar, the personal reflections engaging and interesting, the poems and quotes enlightening and easy to read. It's like a long dinner table conversation with those smart, compassionate, well read friends you always wished you could spend more time with. There's a magic bookshelf that pops out the perfect quote, the poem, the literary example at just the right time.

As the evening goes on, though, something a little disturbing starts to happen. The talk turns to you (me!) and the friends start to tell their stories in a more intimate way, revealing not just the easy morals or the funny parts, but how they fell short, were disappointed, didn't act right, learned a hard lesson the hard way. Something about the way they tell their story makes it impossible for you to stay silent, and you find yourself talking, thinking, feeling in ways you hadn't expected. It gets tougher - the friends use challenging words like "imagine it differently...", "ask yourself what the other person is feeling.." or "name your unfinished business."

Caren Goldman is a friend, and in the interest of full disclosure, when I read this book I could imagine her at our dinner table, telling these stories, running to the bookshelf for the Rilke poem that put the idea just right, fixing me with that look when I'm less than honest with myself.

Bill Dols I've never met, but I know things about him from these stories, and I've let him sit at my dinner table, too. Both Caren and Bill present Jesus in a new way, too - not the Gospel of Certainty but the Gospel of Questions - love embodied in the unanswered far more than the answers. These old, familiar stories that Jesus told or that were told about Jesus are presented like a familiar stone, or a picture we've seen forever. They ask us to turn it a little, hold it in a different light, look from closer in. I read the Good Samaritan story, then they asked me to imagine that I was the priest who walked on by, or the robbers who stripped and beat him! Their questions for reflection take the story all the way home... "look around you", "Who do you pass by every day". They quote the Talmud, Milan Kundera and poet Derek Wolcott.

I get up from the banquet, the dinner conversation, the engagement that this book invites a little tired. It's not an easy self-help affirmation, this book. It's hard. The Jesus I thought I knew is different from the one I meet in this book. So is the "self." This book asks us to look at the beauty, the ease, the love - but also the anger, the selfishness, the disappointment. Smell the flowers, of course, but smell the funk too, acknowledge the rest of the picture, live with the tough questions.

It's not easy - I stopped a couple of times. I thought, "I don't really need this," and "I don't really have time, and " I'm not sure what they believe and if they believe the way I do". In the end, I found it immensely helpful, a powerful experience. Living the questions raised in this way - the questions about Jesus, the questions about myself - is a better way to live. It's like the way I feel getting up from that dinner table - challenged, alive, full, energized - and ready for more!

Caren says that it's her hope that "the questions...will ...remain a welcome signpost on your journey to healing and wholeness." Bill says it's "exchanging the insatiable search for meaning in the Bible for the opportunity to read sacred narratives as life's drama around and within me." Around the middle of the book there's a little TS Eliot poem that summarizes the genius of this book for me.

"We shall not cease from exploration
And the end of all our exploring
Will be to arrive where we started
And know the place for the first time."

The authors have provided me "food for the journey."This outstanding book is most helpful for a fifteen minute quiet time in the middle of a busy day, as well as for a contemplative read to begin or end the day. Bill Dols is creator and Editor of Bible Workbench and Caren Goldman is an Associate Editor of this 52 week program that is a valuable resource that provides a life-changing process for us to engage scripturre in the same way the authors have done in this book: Scripture, Questions, Stories, and Poetry that reflect the relevancy of the Biblical text to our lives today.

Finding Jesus, Discovering Self by Caren Goldman and William Dols is a book about passages to healing and wholeness, using passages about Jesus's life from the Bible as meditations and illustrations for handling daily problems. The book is written by the unlikely team of Goldman, a Jewish journalist, and Dols, and Episcopal priest. They are excellent writers and bring two different perspectives to each scripture and add guided meditations and questions to answer about your perspective and insights gained. The book is an excellent study, no matter what stage your spiritual development is.

Caron Goldman and Bill Dols invite us to explore the Jesus story and our personal stories from fresh, new, sometimes challenging perspectives. To help us, they generously share their own stories, struggles, joys and questions in "Reflections." They invite us to go deeper with more questions and creative imaginings in "Wonderings and Wanderings." Then they hold up "Mirrors" for us to catch another glimpse of the Jesus story and our own with poetry and prose from many sources. In the process of "living" the questions about Jesus and his story, as well as our own stories, one discovers universal life connections and truths. This book is one all seekers will want to own and keep close for guidance on the path. The more I found about Jesus the more I discovered about self and life.

This remarkable book gave me that rare gift, an inventively presented opportunity to see old ideas in new ways; to turn off the philosophical autopilot and reconsider long-held values and operating principles; to realize yet again that I don't necessarily know what I think I know. I took advantage of the authors' permission to skip the exercises this time through, because I'm getting ready to move and don't have time to engage at that level. In some future peaceful season I'll be back, to consider their questions. Great quotes from a lineup that includes a range of talent from Oscar Wilde to the Thomas of that other gospel, combined with the authors' personal experiences that relate to the stories of the life of a wise Jewish man from Nazareth, provoked enough thought this time through.