Canada Books

Cooper's first two novels (Amnesia and Delirium) are amazing books and deal with very subtle corners of human mind; they left me nightmarish for days, and they are not terror novels, they are just extremely disturbing. I love them both: they are intelligent and strange and rich in every sense.

I ordered Milrose Munce as soon as I realized it was published, and was not dissapointed. It is written by the same witty and inteligent author, although in his playful side...and he certainly has one. If you want to check that out, look into his web page, dysmedia.com.

I'm extremely happy that this book exists, and hope to see it translated into many languages soon.

Do read it!

f you're bored of reading what everybody else is reading then you're
going to be a happy girl when you pick this book up. It's the most
unboring thing I've read this year, actually that's an insult, it's
GUT RIOT HILARIOUS and actually really smart. Thisis the kind of book
Emily the Strange would write if she wrote books, or she'd at least
want someone to write this book about her. Actually there are a lot
of characters which remind me of Emily the Strange, so if you like
that whole thing, or love it like I do you should definitely
DEFINITELY read MM.

Lad, I regret to inform you that your book is wonderful; sweet and weird and irreverent, absurdly light on its feet -- and infectious in timbre. I'm not particularly inclined to be so supportive -- leastways not 'til you come across with a little quid pro quo -- but the goofy good mood engendered by
the book so demands. Consider me a reluctant convert. I'll buy plenty.

Eh, I don't buy much other than graphic novels these days. Not because I'm illiterate, but because they're just BETTER, for the most part. I was pressured to buy Milrose Munce, because a friend of mine - brilliant cartoonist - is in love with the cover. So I bought it, and read it, and... Damn. The novel's EXCELLENT, it's hilarious. (So's the cover, btw - this SHOULD be a graphic novel.) If you haven't heard about it yet, it's an ridiculously wacky Young Adult novel - more like a spoof of YA, for kids who are too self-consciously ironic to read the really sappy stuff. It has THE weirdest love story I've ever encountered (and I've seen some strange ones). Buy it. And frame the cover. Do it now.

A cunningly subversive young-adult novel from one of the only living writers of English who knows how to craft a sentence.

Nearly every sentence in this book is elegantly fashioned. Some examples:

"Milrose did sometimes wonder whether his school produced more dead students than the average."

"No, he had never been the sort of boy to laugh at his own shortcomings, and when the pellets he dramatically swallowed turned out to be not Vitamin C but instead expensive first-class rat poison, he was deeply annoyed."

"Being late for Math was something Milrose occasionally enjoyed, and yesterday had felt like the right kind of day to be irresponsible."

"The dear decayed on the third floor were nothing like the dull dead on the floors below."

"Kelvin bent to sit down, and immediately shattered into ice cubes, which melted mournfully all over the floor."

"On a tedious Monday a few months back Kelvin had been particularly inspired."

"The gigglers became squealers as the skeleton whirled daintily in their direction."

"Mr. Loosten, who affected an insincere, jocular informality with the students, sat partially on the desk, with one foot on the floor and the other swinging."

"She was wearing faded crushed velvet, once something like violet: a dress far too long for her, and whose worn fringe trailed behind her like the train of a weird wedding gown."

"It was a game of chicken, but slow and infinitely strange."

"The hallway itself turned that way, and all they had to do was follow it."

"The words _comfortable_ and _cozy_ seemed to vie with each other for status as the bigger whopping lie with respect to Massimo Natica's den."

"Displayed in various places around the den were singular objects, some propped against the walls, others in glass vitrines---possessions that were clearly dear to the den's proprietor."

"Although he wasn't entirely keen to, Milrose opened one of the drawers. The drawer was clearly teasing him."

"Each had a tiny bulb above the drawer's metal-framed label, and these bulbs all seemed on the verge of winking out completely."

Dennis Anthony Cooper may be his generation's Nabokov.

---Joseph Suglia, the author of WATCH OUT

This book gave me mant great ideas on what to do to make my own garden look as nice as the ones in the pictures. They were all so colorful and beautiful. Anyone who is a gardener like myself would enjoy the book as much as i did.

I recently had to do a project on different types of plants and gardens, for my biology class. This book was very helpful, and allowed me to complete my project. The photographs were beautiful, and enjoyable to look at. I would very enthusiastically recommend this book to anyone interested in gardening. It was a great book!

Mary, Mary quite contrary, How does your garden grow? With silver bells and cockle shells, And pretty maids all in a row. The gardens Mary Zuazua describe grow not with silver bells or cockle shells but with a super profusion of color and form. All of us have a garden somewhere buried back down deep in their souls. Like the taste of Proust's madeleine soaked in lime flowers conjured up images of the past,these photos conjure up images of past gardens, real or idealized. Mine a Spanish garden,once lush and verdant,to another an English garden formal, ordered and sterile. But such is the power of these images if one has dreams to dream.

"Small enough to travel with and detailed enough to learn from, this book is a must for the garden loving traveler". THE AMERICAN GARDENER

I have visited hundreds of gardens on four continents and, at a national level, this guide is the most pleasing to the eye and has the best general descriptions of gardens and their histories that I have used. It is a powerful incentive to travel, and a most useful guide for finding the best public gardens on one's route.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Stephen Glenn at a number of seminars and look forward to taking the Developing Capable People workshop so that I may lead parenting classes for our school district (check the research on test score improvement in school districts providing families with these skills). My only "complaint" is that I did not have access to this material while raising my own children. I DO raise 32 a year and have used the seven steps for developing capable people as the basis of my philosophy for teaching. Over the last 19 years there have been but a handful who did not respond to methods suggested in this book - two were diagnosed as having severe psychological disorders. It is NOT a cookie cutter solution to raising children, nor is there any inference that parents don't DO for their children. It is about HOW we do for them - it is a guide to help you hear yourself and THINK about how and what you communicate to your children. I don't subscribe to any philosophy that is extreme in either direction, and I never felt that message related in this book. What is HAS done is remind me that my job is to help a child see himself/herself as capable - to develop intrinsic motivation. It is a HUGE job today when so many young people see themselves as lacking in academic skills. While their parents undoubtedly love them, they are often ill equipped to effect change. This book provides such a well written, easily understood narrative that one cannot help but come away with a better sense of "how to" and a set of skills that will be useful, even if only a few steps are implemented. It is a book I give to every new parent as a gift, one that I will continue to purchase with my own money for ANY parent who struggles and is concerned about his/her child's well being.

If I were emperess of the world, it would be required reading before taking a new baby home from the hospital (and certainly one for young single mothers choosing to raise their babies). I'm willing to step out and even suggest it be made mandatory for all educators too! Don't miss this book! I am about to purchase my 50th plus copy.

The first 25 pages or so make the case that today's families are more dispersed and isolated than they were pre-WWII, that our nation's growing affluence has led to self-indulgence, and that technological advances have dramatically increased isolation within nuclear families.

The result of this shift is "American children at the onset of puberty (who) face and incredible smorgasbord of opportunities with a deficiency in capabilities. Self-confidence, self-validation, self-discipline, good judgment, and a sense of responsibility are all lacking..."

The authors state that there are "four critical factors that demand our attention" networks, meaningful roles, on-the-job training for life, and parenting resources. Parenting resources is scarcely addressed at all, and networking is given just a couple of pages.

The bulk of the book is about how to provide meaningful roles and on-the-job training for life by providing an apprenticeship in thinking and problem solving. The authors discuss how to understand and strenthen a child's perceptions/thought processes, how to communicate effectively with your children, and how to strengthen various life skills in a meaningful, real-life way.

For me, this book is a real paradigm shift. I've read many books focused on a single aspect of this book - books about affluenza, family meetings, social skills, natural consequences, anxiety, parenting, even books about RDI (Relationship Development Intervention for Autistic Children, which is VERY MUCH in sync with this book), and so on. This book ties all of those facets together and shows how they are related and why they are important to equipping kids to deal productively and effectively with life in the real world.

As I read, I realized that I often step in for my children in the name of expedience - pouring juice for them because I don't want them to spill it, choosing clothes for my daughter because what she chooses doesn't always match, regluing the notes on music flashcards I was making because my 3 year old slapped them on in a very crooked fashion. Now I am considering the unspoken messages of "you're incompetent" that my words and actions unwittingly send my kids. I am consciously trying to take advantage of real, meaningful situations that come up to help my kids perceive themselves as capable.

And that is just one small gem in this book.

The most helpful part of the book is the examples of families putting the author's ideas into practice in specific situations. I personally am having difficulty putting some of the theory into practice - I would have loved examples of how parents can coach elementary aged kids through a massive screaming fight, for example.

All in all, one of my favorite books about raising children.

The bottom line on this book is that you should stop doing everything for your children. Coddling can cripple a child for life. That's a pretty easy premise to accept. However, some of the promises made by this book are not so easy to accept. The authors seem to imply that parents who follow their time-tested strategies can bring all children around. They act as if all children are cut from the same mold and will behave reasonably when treated reasonably. Unfortunately, this isn't necessarily so. On the other hand, regular family dinners and meetings probably won't hurt, either.

I was given this book by my mother when my daughter was 2 and my son was 10. We were beginning to have problems with my son and my daughter was just a challenge, period. I fell in love with the book from the first page. They said they would solve my problems, and they did.

As the authors say, its more work the older your kids are, and its true. My son dragged his feet but eventually became the model child. My daughter became the angel I always knew she was. I kept a cheat sheet with me at all times with the questions to ask and the steps to take for the first few months. It was difficult to remember all the key words and phrases off the top of your head. After that it was a natural thing to do.

My kids are now, 22 and 15. My son is a wonderful, mature, loving, well rounded man. Your basic, responsible adult who thinks before he acts and behaves more "grown up" than many grown ups I know. My daughter is more mature than me! She is growing up in a tough world, as are all our kids, and she is handling it with grace and poise. I had some friends ask me recently what I use for discipline with her as they were looking for knew ideas. I thought for a moment and realized that I dont have to discipline her at all! She is the model teenager. She communicates with us, does her homework without complaint, cleans her room when asked, does chores and is willing to discuss anything with us. I told the other moms that it was due to Self Reliance. I believe that with all my heart.

I think my kids started out as good kids, as most do, I had good clay to mold. But, I knew nothing of raising kids, not good parenting role models to fall back on. I had used P.E.T. prior to this and found it to be effective. However, Self Reliance became the backbone of my parenting and we raised some fine people that will make a difference in the world.

I have also used these techniques with the adults in my life. I used it in my marriage (he caught on after a while), I use it in my business and personal life with great results. They translate to all things and have had them used on me also to good affect too. You know you are being "Relianced", but, it helps you come around to what you need to see to.

This book was recommended reading for a behavior management class that I took for my Master's Program. At the time I was teaching, but had no children. This book totally changed the way I approached discipline in the classroom. Since I wasn't a parent at the time,I would often lend out this book to parents of students and very often never got it back. I just kept buying more copies because I really felt that this book was something that all parents should keep and refer back to through the years.

I am now buying another copy for myself and my husband. We have 4 young children and I'm feeling I need a "refresher course" and I'm hoping my husband will read it so that we can be on the same page when we are discipling the kids. You might consider buying two copies, one to keep on your nightstand, and another to lend out to your friends. It's really that great!

Six Memos for the Next Millennium is a collection of lectures Italo Calvino had intended to deliver late in his lifetime. There are only five, as he died before writing the sixth. In a paragraph that opens the collection, Calvino writes: "My confidence in the future of literature consists in the knowledge that there are things that only literature can give us, by means specific to it. I would therefore like to devote these lectures to certain values, qualities, or peculiarities of literature that are very close to my heart, trying to situate them within the perspective of the new millennium."

Through 124 pages, then, Calvino presents us the qualities of Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude, Visibility, and Multiplicity. The sixth quality, left unattended, was meant to be Consistency.

Although Calvino can get too cerebral for my tastes, any reader with an interest in the discipline of literature, and certainly any writer interested in better understanding the value and craft of writing, will find in Six Memos for the Next Millennium something to hold onto.

In the last chapter of this meditation on writing Calvino writes about the value of ' multiplicity'. He considers what the 'hyper-novel' might be, some vast conjunction of Encyclopedia and Bible which tells in some way the ongoing story of the Universe as a whole. He seems to be suggesting a kind of writing which is open and unending, a kind of infinite blog that goes on along with the Universe. I do not know if he asks the question of what happens when the very finite writer of the hyper-novel has his last word. Calvino died before completing the intended sixth lecture in which the Literary value to be examined was ' consistency'.
Calvino, is a writer of great ideas and imagination. And his work provides suggestions of new ways of thinking and perceiving.

I found my copy of this small but elegantly written gem of a book in our local second-hand bookshop. I had long been intrigued by Calvino's writing, and snatched up the copy with delight. I was not disappointed.

The short note at the beginning of the book, by the author's wife, tells about the choice of title, the preparation of the material by the author for the Charles Edward Norton Lectures at Harvard University in the US, and its translation by Patrick Creagh. Calvino completed writing only five of the six lectures, and these form the chapters of the book - Lightness, Quickness, Exactitude, Visibility, and Multiplicity. The sixth, which was to be called "Consistency", he intended to write on his arrival in Cambridge, but Calvino died before making that journey from Italy to Harvard University.

Calvino draws on areas as diverse as mythology, poetry, art, science and history to illustrate his theses, and brings fresh insights to, for example, the story of Perseus and Medusa. A few small extracts from the chapter on various aspects of Lightness will serve to illustrate this diversity of supporting material:

First, from poetry. "... there is a lightening of language whereby meaning is conveyed through a verbal texture that seems weightless, until the language itself takes on the same rarefied consistency... Emily Dickinson, for instance... A sepal, petal, and a thorn// Upon a common summer's morn-// A flask of Dew-A Bee or two-... "

Then, from computer science: "It is true that software cannot exercise its powers of lightness except through the weight of hardware. But it is the software that gives the orders, acting on the outside world and on machines that exist only as functions of software and evolve so that they can work out ever more complex programs. The second industrial revolution, unlike the first, does not present us with such crushing images as rolling mills and molten steel, but with `bits' in a flow of information traveling along circuits in the form of electronic impulses. The iron machines still exist, but they obey the orders of weightless bits."

Despite the fact that this is a work of non-fiction, Calvino's skill as a master storyteller is evident. The chapter entitled "Quickness", for instance, begins with a fascinating and very concise story of necrophilia and magic. His exposition on the technique of Jorge Luis Borges, near the end of this chapter, reads like a story itself. For anyone interested in the craft of the short-short story, or flash fiction, this chapter should prove edifying.

Several passages from works of European writers are used as examples throughout the book. I was grateful that these were always accompanied by their English translations. For example, extracts from the writings by Leopardi, Musil, and Valéry were presented in the original Italian, German, and French, in the chapter entitled "Exactitude" together with their English translations.

In the "Multiplicity" chapter I encountered the notion that every object, no matter how apparently insignificant, is the center of an infinitely expanding network of relationships. Wow - what an immensely powerful antidote to writer's block.

This is a wonderful and thought-provoking book.

A new italian Futurist Manifesto, but this time a good one.

This book is a collection of talks on writing Calvino was preparing as a series of documents specifying some important keys of literature that he felt needed to be recorded as crucial elements of literary tradition. Indeed, in his essay "Visibility," Calvino brings up his concern for the future of imagination and literature in a world so full of prefabricated imagery, where images are provided rather than solicited. While his initial impulse was to write six lectures, he evidently reported at one point of his process that he had ideas for eight, but in the end he only completed five. In her introduction, Esther Calvino clarifies that she decided to keep the title true to Italo's original intention and publish the series under the original title, despite the missing sixth.

In the lectures themselves, Calvino provides the kind of insight and fascination with the making of literature that fuels so many of his best books. Rather than come across as a manifesto of his own brilliance, as the premise may sound, Calvino spends a lot of time in admiration of the work of other writers, from classics like Ovid and Dante to colleagues and contemporaries, like Francis Perec and Douglas R. Hofstadter. The lectures are of course sometimes punctuated with personal details about his own writing processes, but I found them very inviting and revealing about the ideas he was trying to point out.

Each lecture dedicates itself to an aspect of literature that Calvino finds crucial: "Lightness," or the aspect of language that speaks directly to a reader and is not always weighed down with intellectual metaphor but with direct communication; "Quickness," or the immediacy of literature - the way it cuts through random detail to get to the necessary; "Exactitude," or the precision of language (and when it needs imprecision); "Visibility," or the power of imagery to convey ideas; and "Multiplicity," or the complexity of content.

Calvino is a writer who has always presented a kind of fascinating enigma. His works is spectacularly visual, and while crucially uncategorizable in its sense of being not easy to nail down in the area of metaphor or theme (something that Calvino no doubt worked quite strenuously at, clear when he talks about a poem's meaning in "Exactitude" as being "not fixed, not definitive, not hardened into mineral immobility, but alive as an organism"), it is also quite accessible and always an enjoyable read. Calvino mastered the art of experimentalism that did not read as though one needed to be schooled in the traditions of literature to understand his intents. Though Calvino clearly wants to offer his lectures as guides for the necessities of literature for posterity, it is also a manifesto on the man's own aesthetic, though it is not a manifesto that demands the agreement of others, or the demand that others follow in his footsteps. Though Calvino does have moments of criticism, as when he accuses schools of dispensing "the culture of the mediocre," which I take to mean the conveying of literature as something with set meaning that we must all learn and emulate (or at least parrot back), and also directs a barb or two at the publishing industry when he supports experimentalism with the following caveat: "The demands of the publishing business are a fetish that must not be allowed to keep us from trying out new forms." In this lecture series, Calvino presents himself quite wise and worldly, but also quite direct and earnest. A reading of this work at the start of any literature course on almost any level of schooling might provide a stiff reminder that literature is a work of passion, not just analysis, and it also works in the realm of paradox, as Calvino himself presents--that it is structure in literature that is needed to make it transcend structure, that one needs to be as aware of the lack of success in literature as much as success to see the stuff of great literature.

Calvino's last `memo,' "Consistency," was never written, but I could only imagine where he would have gone with it, which was always a strength of Calvino's work. The last lecture seems to bring to a full circle many of things he brings up through the series, but Calvino's work always found a way to extend beyond the full circle. Perhaps, in the end, the consistency needs to be ours, to make sure that this wisdom does not go to waste.

A friend recently loaned us a copy of "Spirit of the Open Road". This book is an absolute "Must Read" for anyone who has any kind of recreational vehicle or anyone who thinks he may want one. We are reasonably seasoned RVers (we have graduated over a period of 20 years from a pup tent on the back of a motorcycle all the way up to a Class A motorhome), and we don't know how we ever survived without this book. Peggy McDonald has done a masterful and entertaining job of really telling it like it is. "Spirit" is chock full of timely tips and suggestions that have been gleaned from on-the-road experience and is presented in a style that anyone can enjoy. It is particularly appropriate for Canadians who want to be winter snowbirds. I agree with another reviewer who wrote that every RVer should have two copies - one to keep and one to loan out to your friends!

Whether you are new to RVing or have been RVing for years, Spirit of the Open Road is in fact Essential and the only Reference Guide RVers will need. When we started RVing a friend recommended this book and I am sure glad we purchased it. Spirit of the Open Road is always at my finger tips and is full of helpful Facts and tips; everything from saftey to what you should look for when purchasing a new or new to you Rig; budgeting for Full-Time RVers; important information to know when travelling across the border; and, the list goes on. The selling feature for me is the fact that the author, Peggi McDonald, writes about her and her husband John's personal RVing experiences. Thanks for sharing and keep up the good work, Peggi & John!

My wife and I are new Rvers & were looking for a good book or two to help us learn and avoid beginner mistakes. If you are in the same boat, this is the book for you! While the book is subtitled "The Essential Reference for Canadian RVers", it is almost completely irrelevant whether you live in Canada or the USA (as we do). This book is about the RV experience - period. Jam-packed with tips, it teaches you the basics and much, much more. This book, written from years of experience & suggestions from other RVers, is very complete and informative. If you're not a novice, you still just might find some great ideas that you had not occurred to you before.

The book is easily read, fun, and well laid out. You'll find information on maximizing your space, towing/driving, dealing with pets, budgeting for your RV lifestyle, finding a good campground, buying or selling your RV, and much more.

I bought 5 different RV related books, but "Spirit of the Open Road" was far and away the best of the bunch.

At last, practical advice for both before and after you have bought that dream RV. I have read a lot of RV advice and how to's but this is the one I'll take with me. Peggi delivers an organized and extremely helpful book divided into logical sections so you can read the whole thing ( I recommend this approach so you don't miss anything) or just what you need to know when you need it. I have owned an RV for 6 years and I wish I'd had this book when I bought my first one. This is the best book I have seen for novices - strong on how to and practical tips culled from years of experience and chats with RVers all over. This is also a great book for those thinking of beginning in RV's. If you think you know it all read Peggi and you'll learn a lot more! Hope she brings out another one soon.

SPIRIT OF THE OPEN ROAD is subtitled, "The Essential Reference Guide for Canadian RVers," but in fact it holds a wealth of how-to advice for American travelers as well. Most RVing basics are the same everywhere: selecting the type of RV that suits your needs, dealing with limited storage space, safe driving techniques, ways of keeping in touch with family and friends back home, selecting campgrounds from the many types out there, securing your home on wheels from the dangers of burglars, fire, or carbon monoxide poisoning. Peggi McDonald covers all these topics and more, in a clear, easy-to-read style with occasional cartoon drawings and shaded boxes for key points. As an American RVer, I especially appreciated the many practical tips in the book -- including clever fixes for plumbing problems, an entire chapter of hints on "Extending Your Living Space," and "Weighing Your RV," a section that explains the alphabet-soup mysteries of GVWR (Gross Vehicle Weight Rating) and GCVW (Gross Combined Vehicle Weight). RVing wannabees of any nationality should find this a useful guide to getting started in life on the road.

Euell Gibbons was master forager, or at least among those that are also authors. His book is absolutely fascinating, and he makes the reader aware of a multitude of wild plants and animals that few have ever tasted, or even been aware of for that matter.

There are countless useful recommendations for the preparation of foraged foods, many of which would be unpalatable or even inedible without using the provided suggestions. His stories are great and he relates many tales from his days as a forager.

The problem I have with the book is that it is first and foremost a cookbook. It has drawings and descriptions of most, but not all, of the wild edibles he talks about. This is hardly a good method for identifying plants. On the back cover it even suggests you could live off the plants and animals described in the book. This is possible, but not likely, particularly if you cannot even properly identify the plants! And considering that there are numerous poisonous plants in any given locale, you had best not delve to deeply into the world of foraging without tagging along with an expert or at least having a detailed field guide.

Take the book for what it is - an excellent resource for preparing wild edibles and opening a whole new world for the outdoorsman.

Bret

I was always interested in survival and eating wild foods and I tried several (with indifferent results) during my boy scout days. Thus, it was that "Stalking the Wild Asparagus" was a revelation to me when I first encountered it as a young man. Somebody else in the world was interested in eating wild plants! Quite a few somebodies, it developed, because this book ran through a lot of printings and Euell Gibbons became a folk hero and TV star.

Gibbons identifies and discusses the culinary virtues of about 50 different wild plants and animals. Among the familiar plants he identifies are dandelions, cattails -- the "supermarket of the swamp" -- and daylilies. He tosses in a few animals worthy of pursuit and ingestion by the modern day hunter/gatherer: bluegills, turtles, frogs, and carp. One is immediately impressed that Gibbons knows what he is talking about. He tells you what you need to do with the plant or animal, gives you a recipe or two for its preparation, and adds a bit of personal experience and folklore about the plant. He even gives you menus for wild-food feasts.

There is something of the primeval in the attraction of children to gathering their own food, even if is only raspberries growing beside a road. For a few, such as Gibbons, it becomes a lifelong passion. His strength as a writer is infectious enthusiasm. I usually find nature writers to be preachy and sanctimonious. Gibbons isn't. He seems impervious to the thought that he might be considered as crazy as a loon (not one of the animals he proposes for eating). He can say with a perfectly straight face, "Let's go nutting."

"Stalking the Wild Asparagus" has found a permanent place on my bookshelf and due recognition as a nature classic.

Smallchief

Euell Gibbons (1911-1975) had an adventurous life to say the least. His first intro to wild foods was due to his family's poverty when they lived in New Mexico. At 12 years old, Gibbons went out in the surrounding country-side to forage for edibles to help feed his family and a life-long love of wild food got off to a pragmatic start. One of his first discoveries was wild asparagus, hence the book title namesake.

This book is lyrical, yet practical and covers a sizeable array of wild foods- location, preparation, uses, etc. Recipes are given all through the book as well as some medicinal use info. One of Gibbons' favorite plants was the Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale). He relates how the Dandelion has been one of humanities longest known and useful wild foods and medicines and laments the assault by lawn care chemical manufacturers in trying to demonize this beautiful, helpful gift from Nature.

Gibbons traveled the world lecturing on the benefits of wild foods and was often seen on popular talk shows along with becoming a pitch-man for Post Grape Nut Cereal commercials where he treated America to hilarious daily line: "...taste like wild hickory nuts!". Gibbon's came across like a modern-day cross between Mark Twain, Will Rogers and Henry David Thoreau.

Those familiar with Thoreau's recently published last manuscript, "Wild Fruits" will see the close resemblance to "Stalking the Wild Asparagus"- both now classics and useful guides to Nature's cornucopia of wild edible gifts.

Not only is this book full of recipes for wild plant dishes, but it includes wild animals as well. I like his attitude towards the things that many people won't touch - I mean this dude ate a bobcat and had a buddy there eating it with him. Where do you find these kind of people? I don't know anyone who would eat bobcat unless money was involved.

I have known this book for over 20 years. I has been almost a bible for my foraging. I used to borrow it from the library several times a year. Then the county libraby removed it from the shelf to make room for newer books. I was very dissappointed. I had to borrow the book from a library 2 counties away. I was delighted to discover that Amazon carried Stalking the Wild Asparagus. The book is a wonderful reference tool, personable, acurate, and has detailed illustrations.

Don't miss this one! Mainly about the lives of school girls in modern England, with enough eccentrics and quirks to keep you smiling throughout, with nice Mozartian references, not to mention PG Wodehouse, "The Leopard", Oxford, aging hippies,and several disorganized, but loving families. The heroine's mixed up love life is mostly amusing, though it does seem to hit a strange wall with the very odd Giavanni at the end. Still, this is miles ahead of most popular fiction out there,and worth re-reading too!

I must agree with another reviewer who stated that while pretty good, this novel is not her best effort (that would be "Brother of the More Famous Jack" and "The Travelling Hornplayer") I never found the characters in this novel to be as engaging as in her other works. Our main character Alice while intellegent and lovely, is so easily swayed by the men in her life I was beginning to think she was incapable of knowing her own mind. And the men in her life....ugh, I was having a hard time deciding who was more obnoxious, the foppish "my poppet" Roland, the "marry the bosses daughter" Matthew, or the egomanical Giovanni. By the end of the novel I was hopeful for Alice but something about Giovanni.....Hmm.

It's amazing what she does! I'm in awe. Noah's Ark is great too - I'd highly recommend it, and all the others. This one is my favorite.

I really loved this book. I could never tell quite where it was going but I loved where it ended up. One reviewer on this site commented that he was tired of Alice being a doormat for men, but I could easily see why she would be this way. Her development into a person with enough self-confidence to assert herself is an imporant part of the book.

I worked backwards, first reading The Travelling Hornplayer, before I read this. A measure of a good book for me is whether or not I think about the characters when I am not reading, and how much I enjoy them--for good or bad--when I am reading. It is delightful to finally see Alice get away from Roland "my poppet" Dent and head back to Jem. This is a book well worth reading! Go and find all of Trapido's books, you won't be sorry.

This book is amazing! The plot is twisted enough to get the reader guessing, the characters are well rounded and well developed and the attention to detail is first rate. I finished it in 2 days! I would recommend this book to anyone who loves to read interesting books that have unique points of view, which this one does. This book is definitely a great one if a reader wants to be entertained!

I completed 'Traveling with an Eggplant' in a day. This is the first time--in a long time--that a book has kept my undivided attention. The story is seamless and not full of filler-footage. Every word written has revelance. And the writing is smart, which makes you think, but not in an i-have-to-take-an-exam kind of way. More so in the 'Zen and the Art of Motorcylce Mainteance' way. Just not as heavy.

Alycia Ripley also did an amazing job in bringing the reader into Alison's (main character) world. I felt primarily connected to Alison and had a fun time watching the story unfold in my head. As a thespian, I understand how important it is to keep your audience connected with your character and Ms. Ripley displayed that extremely well in her novel. Also, being a child of the 80's and from Long Island, I could easily associate my own life to various references about the 80's the LI in 'Eggplant'.

I highly recommend 'Traveling with an Eggplant' if you're looking for something different. It's a quick read and I believe most will definitely find a connection to the story.

I'm pleased to say that I briefly knew the author of this book while mutually attending Syracuse University. She was a friend of a friend whom I met at a lively campus bar and often went to see perform in the SU comedy troupe. You could always tell what material was hers because it was so on the mark and on the money. The voice she used while making fun of our (oh so visible) campus stereotypes was unique, articulate and fast as bullets. Although that was comedy and this book is more drama, I can still hear her voice in my head and see her when reading some of the descriptions and images. This book is really engaging and fascinating. The characters are so alive and the circumstances so vivid that I sometimes found myself looking around the room I was in to make sure that I was still alone. There are several parts that kept me awake and freaked me out. If you enjoy a good story, some fresh characters, and having to actually use your brain, you will like this book. Congratulations Alycia for succeeding at what you wanted so much to do! It's really great to see someone from SU making their name in the arts.

Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (2/06)

In her stunning debut novel, Traveling with an Eggplant, author Alycia Ripley takes the reader on a wild ride through the life and mind of Alison Olson. Alison finds herself revisiting her past, both literally and figuratively. She finds herself haunting the remnants of her college life, aimlessly wandering around her old campus and apartment. As she haunts her old life, her old life begins to haunt her. She lives with an onslaught of memories, as well as a hallucinatory soundtrack running through her head at random. As she attempts to deal with her past, she struggles with the present; her tumultuous and maddening relationship with Seymour, her friendship with her best friend Tara, and her fight for respect and recognition at her job where she is one of a handful of females working in a male-dominated world.

The characters in this novel are so well developed, it is hard to forget they are not actual people. The writing is so vivid and detailed that you can easily imagine yourself taking this journey with Alison. When she begin hallucinating, your mind is right with hers as she dances the line between what is real and what is our imagination. As you watch Alison deal with finding herself, finding her destiny, and commit an amazing act of heroism, you can't help but cheer her on. Your heart breaks with hers, but she gives you a reason to believe there is hope in midst of the chaos we call life. In the end, you celebrate with her as she faces her demons and realizes that to move forward in life, you have to ultimately deal with your past.

Traveling with an Eggplant is a incredibly bizarre book, yet so beautifully written you are never confused about what is happening. It takes you on a journey from the present to the past to the dream world and back again, but is written so smoothly that never once does the reader feel lost. Alycia Ripley has done a splendid job of writing a novel that not only acts as an escape, but as a catalyst for examining our own lives. Alison Olson is a character that we can all identify with, and can all admire for her strength and heroism.

My favorite thing about this book is its great dialogue. With many books the dialogue just sort of reads and you accept it because you have to but in this book, the dialogue is really alive and once it was done, I wanted the characters back. The main character, Alison, is a music journalist with a problem- she's thirty something and doesn't know why she's wandering her college campus and hanging out near her old college apartment. She has a strange relationship with a guy named Seymour who in college once cautioned her about an on coming storm and from then on, the book takes off to her career in New York, writing for a Rolling Stone type magazine and the difficulties in breaking into the business as a woman and as a 'rock encyclopedia' who desperately wants to achieve her goals. Her relationship/friendship with Seymour, now a neuroscientist, veers from charming and sweet to frustrating and maddening! To top it off, she starts hearing voices and songs in her head and being assaulted by a ghost version of someone she knew long ago....Her best friend becomes sick, Alison begins hallucinating (or not) and all this is happening as she deals with becoming a bit of a celebrity. I loved this book- the ending was such a surprise and the dialogue is realistic, hilarious, and engaging. The character of Seymour has to be experienced to be believed! I really enjoyed this book and recommend it.

I read this great book last summer during my third visit to Africa. As the orphan coordinator of a sponsorship program for four secondary schools in southwest Uganda, I have first hand experience with the results of the AIDS epidemic. I found the stories to be not all death and dying as you might expect, but interesting and inspiring. The author is right on target in describing the current situation in Africa, from the descriptions of governments, religions, health care, and also the roadblocks to progress that long-held attitudes and lifestyles present. I gave this book to five family members at Christmas!

It sounds weird to say it, but I couldn't put this book down. All the stories are so compelling and so well-written. Nolen doesn't tell one story over and over, but tells many stories using very diverse people. Her courage is obvious: she hung out with a long-haul trucker, a sex worker, and people with AIDS who had only days left to live. I was especially intrigued by the stories of the infected ones who became powerful advocates. What this book left me with wasn't the sense that "these people are pathetic victims we richer folk need to help," but that these are resilient, strong, interesting human beings suffering a horrid situation with little or no resources, and we should help them help themselves. As a journalist, I'm in awe of Stephanie Nolen in every respect. As a reader, I'm compelled to respond. I highly recommend the related website, [...], where you can read about each of the 28 briefly, and see a video interview of several. The website and book both give many ideas for how you can help. Start by reading a book that could change your life.

Stephen Lewis, the former UN Special Envoy for AIDS in Africa, called Stephanie Nole's 28 Stories of AIDS in Africa, "the best book ever written about AIDS". I must admit that I was skeptical- how could a relatively short book of stories encapsulate this massive epidemic? By the time I'd finished the third of 28 stories, I'd changed my mind.

Nolen successfully uses 28 human experiences of HIV/AIDS, gathered over years of reporting on the issue, to tackle each aspect of the pandemic: orphans, access to treatment, medical research, AIDS in conflict zones and within the military, at-risk groups such as truck drivers and sex workers, African political and international humanitarian approaches to HIV, experiences of children, women, elites, couples, families, activists, and the poorest of the poor. Her approach left me more knowledgable, and intermittently heartbroken and ready for action. The book critically examines the role of each actor in the pandemic, from international to local in the present and since the first recorded infection. It emphasizes the complexity of the crisis, most importantly its intrinsic links to poverty, as well as including a vital section on how you can help.

Effectively, Nolen has written a book that provides an overview of the political, historical, cultural, and economic realities of HIV/AIDS in Africa while constantly drawing the reader back to one fundemental point: HIV/AIDS is first and foremost a human issue. She quotes Nelson Mandela (he is the main character in the 27th story), "Overcoming poverty is not a gesture of charity; it is an act of justice" (353).

As someone recently embedded in the fight against HIV/AIDS (I am currently writing my undergraduate thesis on prevention programs, and have just returned from 10 months working with two grassroots HIV/AIDS organizations in Ethiopia), I would recommend this to laypeople and experts alike!

The introductory maps seize your attention. "Adult prevalence of HIV /AIDS" on one page and the people represented in the "stories" on the opposite. There's a swath of dark shading across southwest Africa - that's "Over 20%". To the east, the shade is lighter - "15 - 20%", with two darker smudges labelled "Swaziland" and "Lesotho" - islands of tragedy. At the top, "5 - 15%" predominates, lower numbers hiding the intensity of conditions. Stephanie Nolen's subjects' names run across the other map - the individuals whose stories are related here.

The numbers often lead to "AIDS fatigue" - too many big numbers; surpassing our ability to grasp them. The millions of people infected with HIV/AIDS seem beyond comprehension. After consulting the various estimates, Nolen surmises about 28 million for Africa, approaching the entire population of Canada. Each day, something like 5500 will die of the effects of the infection - two-thirds the population of my community. Every day. All year long. The adage runs: "One death is a tragedy, one million deaths is a statistic." Yet, that "million" represents that many "ones", and each one has a story. Nolen gives us those stories, making one person represent a million others. It's a formidable burden for the afflicted and the writer alike, but Nolen's skill effectively allows the reader to take it all in measured doses.

The opening story is, appropriately, a woman. In Swaziland, women don't turn to activism. They were traditionally forbidden to wear pants until 2003 and the right to own property was only granted in 2006. The little nation has the last monarch in Africa - who has thirteen wives and a fleet of autos. Siphiwe Hlophe had borne children with a man who delayed marriage for years. The discovery that she carried the virus was devastating - it suggested she was immoral, when it was her husband who had been philandering. That situation is one of the AIDS' story social disasters. The infection carries the stigma of immorality, a view widespread throughout Africa - and the West. Traditional leaders, missionaries and even family members vilified the victims as "immoral". It was also deemed an affliction of the poor, a mistake leading to many stressful family situations. Siphiwe, transcended many of these issues by announcing her infection and launching an AIDS awareness programme. Nolen gives accounts of other activitists, including a "Miss HIV Stigma-Free".

The other group most affected by the virus is children - either by being orphaned or by infection at birth. Among the former is 14-year-old Tigist Haile Michael of Addis Ababa who is the sole support for a younger brother half her age. Regine Mamba isn't an orphan. At her age, the term is meaningless. But Regine knows about orphans. When Nolen first interviewed her, Regine had 13 of them - all their parents were AIDS victims - by the book's Epilogue, the number had risen to 18. These parentless children lack education, opportunity and exist on a bare subsistence level lacking any skills to provide for themselves or siblings. Across Africa the number of such children is estimated to have reached 14 million today. What is their future? One path, of course, is always open - at least to the girls.

Is it entirely disaster and is amelioration impossible? There are signs of hope for researchers, but one of those will likely raise a few eyebrows. Agnes Munyiva has three children who live across town from where she works. Seeing up to a dozen clients per day, her job makes her a high risk for HIV infection, but that's not the part she keeps from her children. She's a sex worker in a Nairobi suburb, and she's very special. Agnes is HIV immune, a physiological trait that has many, especially AIDS researchers, scratching their heads, but see her condition as a means leading to prevention. The number of immune sex workers is small, and conditions providing immunity vary. Can enough be studied carefully to derive some answers? Does Alice truly fit the "one in a million" status? In what may seem a departure from the theme, Nolen relates the sad story of Western pharmaceutical firms keeping the price of Anti-Retroviral Drugs [ARVs] out of reach of those needing them. Compounding this tragedy of corporate greed is the role of Western financial institutions such as the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to cripple the social services. Through Strategic Adjustment Plans [SAPs - one of the few truly indicative acronyms], Western investors demanded "downsizing" of government employees - read "teachers" and "nurses" - to pay off international debts, thousands were deprived of jobs. Lacking land and the skills to work it, those unemployed quickly became destitute. Add those to the young orphan girls and Alice readily becomes "one in a million". One of those will assuredly displace her from her hard mattress and mud-walled hut.

If the foundation of Alice's immunity, shared with a small number of Africa's prostitutes, can be unravelled, the chance of a vaccine increases. That's the quest of Uganda's Pontiano Kaleebu, who's been seeking that preventive step for years. Nolen's chapter on Pontiano is one of the most compelling of the collection. In it, Nolen explains how HIV/AIDS operates in the body, and why both prevention and cure are so difficult to achieve. While the vaccine remains elusive, the "cure" has made hesitant progress. But the drugs work only for a time, then a new form and schedule is required. That means testing, analysis, prescription, scheduling and instruction by health-care workers - many of whom were laid off. The drugs have to be available where and when needed at a price that people can afford. Not easily achieved in Sub-Saharan Africa.

As a Canadian in Africa, reporter for the Toronto Globe & Mail, Nolen is aware of how that nation prides itself on helping those in need. Accordingly, she offers a list of organizations providing that support for the suffering. Those 28 million are still living - minus today's 5500 - and their lives can be extended by ARV compounds. Nolen explains how you can help and what your help can achieve. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada

Graça Machel, wife of former South African President Nelson Mandela and, with him, long time activist in the fight against HIV/AIDS, said: "... we can't fill all the spaces that are left." Five and a half thousand people die in Africa every day of AIDS and related diseases, with an estimated 28 million people infected by the HIV virus. These figures are too overwhelming to comprehend and Stephanie Nolen's book opens an evocative window for us into the struggle, the suffering and the hope of ordinary Africans through 28 portraits. From her diverse and multi-year experience and research into the pandemic in a number of sub-Saharan Africa countries, she focuses on the individuals, their families and their circumstances, resulting in an intimate, sometimes heart wrenching, sometimes uplifting, yet always deeply moving and inspiring account of what HIV/AIDS has done and continues to do to Africans: to individuals, relations, communities and countries.

Each chapter starts with a photograph of the primary individual as she or he reveals the tragedy of their lives. Some of them Nolen met only a couple of times, others have become close friends. Her ability to convey their stories vividly and with great empathy brings us as reader not only close to the unique aspects of each "case", but assists our better appreciation of cultural and political traditions and realities in African societies. The critical components of the HIV/AIDS crisis unique to African countries are addressed within the narrative without losing the personal and emotional primacy of the subject matter.

For close to ten years, Nolen, a Canadian journalist for the Globe & Mail, based in South Africa, has been following the HIV/AIDS crisis all over the continent. She has visited families, health clinics, scientists, care centres for AIDS orphans, and activists' organizations. She has walked with health care providers among remote rural communities lacking any medicines, yet trying their best to comfort and help the sick. Stigmas still attached to the infection have meant that misconceptions flourish: those identified with it have been shunned, thrown out of their family's house and left to die. For a long time, testing positive for the virus was perceived by people as an automatic death sentence, resulting too often in changing behaviour patterns. Without any concrete knowledge of this "disease of many names" it robbed families of one young woman or man after another and villages in despair with the ever increasing number of orphans left behind.

Contrary to the long-held prevalent view in Africa as elsewhere - that HIV/AIDS is a disease of minorities and of the poor - Nolen demonstrates the fallacy of this perception that has cost many their lives needlessly. Poverty remains an important factor where nutrition is inadequate, education non-existent, and money for treatment and care is not available. Nolen discusses how traditional societal norms of behaviour still contribute to the persistence of high infection rates, in particular among women. Abstinence, promoted by international, in particular US, aid agencies as a primary method to reduce infections, is only rarely an acceptable option, Nolen contends. Anita in Mozambique stands for many: "None of it" she said, "was up to me". On the other side, there are young professionals, like Lydia in Uganda or Ibrahim in Nigeria, fully aware of their condition, that are still caring for others, lobbying and fighting for access to life prolonging ARVs (antiretroviral medication). What shines through all the stories, is determination and hope despite the odds, the courage, resolve and perseverance that the individuals show in the face of unimaginable obstacles.

A substantial number of books are available on HIV/AIDS and its devastating impact on African societies and demonstrating the need for cheap medicines and vaccines. The human costs in countries where the HIV infection rate may be as high as 30 or more percent is unimaginable in its devastation for generations to come. As Machel put it: "I don't think I comprehend the dimensions of the havoc, disruption, discontinuity". Nolen's book stands out for her insightful descriptions of the human costs as well as the its fluid integration into the stories of aspects of socio-economic conditions and up-to-date science research surrounding the pandemic. Yet, she never loses the focus on the human beings who she got to know and who candidly shared with her their life's story. If you think you can only cope with one book on this subject, read this one. [Friederike Knabe]

Everything you've ever wanted to know about snorkel swimming is in this great book, from "The Basics" to "Underwater Photography." Anyone in average health, who can swim, can don a mask and peer beneath the waters. Its low-impact aerobics and a great way to keep fit. Snorkeling has become a family affair with fish-watching and photography the main focus.

You will find tips on a variety of snorkeling trips and activities in this informative book. Choices vary from sail-snorkel trips on shallow-draft catamarans or trimarans, glass-bottom-boat tours, snorkel-with-the-dolphins tours; the list goes on and on. Each snorkeling site is graded for interesting marine life, visibility, and water clarity with one to five "starfish."

Helpful hints concerning snorkels, how to choose the proper fins, anti-fog solutions, and how to avoid sunburn are all discussed. Dos and Don'ts advise that you always swim with a dependable buddy and warnings as to what not to touch.

The best reef-front resorts, starfish-rated beaches and boat-entry sites are included as well as Manatee tours. Where to find shallow shipwrecks, the best coral gardens, underwater photo trips and snorkeling cruises are all included in this wonderful book. Also included are twelve pages of fantastic underwater photography.

If you are a snorkeling enthusiast, this book is a must have. It is a valuable guide to snorkeling sites and islands. Information includes detailed maps, photos, tours offered, and important information you need to make a wise vacation choice.

I found the reviews very helpful in deciding where I wanted to plan my nest trip... I went to the Galapagos with Aquatic Encounters, and it was so fantastic, it is beyond description

This is must-have book for both the beginner and experienced travelling snorkeler. It is a thoughtful guide to the best places to visit and great tips on what to look for in the way of unique marinelife once you get there. It should be a companion in every dive bag.

The book has very brief descriptions of snorkeling sites at a large number of different places. Most, but not all are Caribbean islands. There are also descriptions of other "traditional" snorkeling places, such as the Yucatan Penninsula and Hawaii. And there are two large sections on snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and the Galapagos Islands. Several snorkeling sites are listed at each separate location, and useful advice and information is given for most. All sites are rated on a 1 to 5 "starfish" point system. About the only criticism I have of the book is that much of the hotel information seems to be pulled directly from the hotel's advertising about themselves. A little more independent commentary would be nice. The information is still useful as a starting point. Finally, for each location, there is useful information on weather, how to get there, and when to go. If you have the first edition of this book, I see little reason to purchase this new edition, however. I do wish a few other sites or activities had been included, in particular snorkeling with whale sharks off Northwest Australia. That's something that interests me, but there seems very little information on it out there. If you travel to snorkel, and don't have the First Edition, GET THIS ONE!

This is the best book for snorkeling I've ever found. The other books are so vague, they don't tell me much of anything. This one describes all the neat places to walk in from the beach and go snorkeling, how rough or calm the area is, how to get to various snorkeling beaches once I get there, whether the kids can safely swim in each area. It also has all the resorts that have snorkeling off their beaches, which is really nice for people traveling with small children and the airlines and travel stuff we need.