You will be pleasantly surprised by this book. This book has a lot of information that goes along with the recipes. You will be amazed at all of the supplimental information that goes into this book. The way to buy fresh vegetables, how to look for good cuts of meat, ways to stretch meat, and a host of ideas with each recipe. The book is clearly written, and it makes it very easy to read. There are pictures for many recipes as well, this pictures aren't of just the finished product either. I think you will find this book covers the basics, and goes well beyond that. If you know someone that is just starting out, or perhaps learning to cook this would be a great choice for them.

I only had to take one look at this book and I knew it was going to be great. It truly has everything you need to know to cook today. Betty teaches you step by step all the basics in breads, cakes, cookies, meats and so much more. From how to knead your bread dough to when your meat is done. Complete with reasons for when things go wrong, to teach you what not to do next time. Besides giving you the basics this cookbook contains many great recipes 90% of which contain everyday items. Recipes you will want to make for your family regularly. I know I will come back to this cookbook time and again for all my questions and to find great meals.

I grew up learning how to cook using Mom's Betty Crocker cookbook. This book is just like Mom's, with all the basic recipes. Plus many more for today's busy cook. Bread machine recipes, vegetarian, etc. I bought it to get the basic recipes I have to call Mom for. But it has so much more! It has everything! This is the only cookbook I plan to buy!

I'm a gay male who purchased a copy of Betty's book for my own reading. By the time I was done, I bought two more copies - one for my parents and another for my sister. I realized that they might benefit from a book written from "their" point of view.

It's so important that messages like Betty's get out to the world. Not just the gay and lesbian world, but the world in general. Simply put - "Love one another."

I can only hope and wish that Oprah or some other high-profile media outlet picks up a copy and gives this book the promotion it deserves.

Isn't it funny how when kids are growing up, we tell them all just how special they are.... And then when they go and show just how special they are - what our responses can be.

Thank you Betty, for writing a book from your heart and soul. Nothing like this could be easy, and I thank you again for telling such a personal story so that it might benefit others.

As a recently "out" daughter I bought this book to understand what my family members are going through. Betty Degeneres is an inspiring role model for anyone concerned about tolerance in today's world. She delivers a message that many parents should be relieved to hear. Her love for her daughter is palpable, and expressed in a way that all parents of all children can relate to. A wonderful book for everyone. Bravo, Betty!

This book was an excellent source of encouragement and education for those who are gay and their family members. Betty Degeneres looks at sexuality and the issues that it brings in society today. She speaks of her journey after finding out her daughter Ellen is gay and the acceptance and closeness that came along afterwards through the years. This book is excellent reading for anyone with gay family members or friends, and for those of us who are still struggling with our own sexuality. I loved this book! Thank you Betty!

Having been raised evangelical (but later recovered), I was really, really happy to find someone else that recognizes the humor in fundamentalist Christian ideology. Bradley is an excellent satirist, recognizing the absurd, but also having a thorough knowledge of the subject matter.

At its best, WWBD attacks the scripture, analyzing precisely what makes nonsense of fundamentalist scripture quotation. Betty's advocacy of stoning recalcitrant children and discussion of the one unforgivable sin (insulting the Holy Ghost) put the fundamental error in fundamentalism. Recurring references to "God's Own Party" and "Demoncrats" underscores why when the freepers come across WWBD it's rating will, no doubt, go down drastically.

Clearly, the blasphemous nature of much of WWBD makes it a book that is not for everyone. Further, much of the material in the book is available at the website (and some of what is on the website is not available in the book.) However, there is something comforting for those of us that grew up under the heavy hand of evangelical Christianity to know that we are not alone in our epiphany of fundamentalist Christianity's failed logic, self-contradiction and selective perception.

This is a good book to shock your religious friends and relatives. There are also a few belly-laughs.

I'm a devout Catholic and follower of Dr. Schlessinger and even I can appreciate the truth in this book. Mrs. Bowers has taken on the PC elements of the religous Right and exposed the hypocrisy of some of their beliefs: whether anti-woman, anti-black, or anti-gay. Many in the conservative movement will find that this book hits too close to home. But as a seriously religious person myself, I had the courage to get a sense of humor. From now on when people use the PC cliche of "we need to respect all religous beliefs such as the Levitical command to execute unrepentant homosexuals", I'll hand them Betty's book. Thank you Mrs. Bowers for a work of great Truth.

I found this book to be compulsive and very enjoyable. It is depressingly astute for those who have been brought up in a Evangelical denomination and who must now grow up and realise the often times dreadful failings of such a dogma.

I am such a person. As a result I squirmed as much as I laughed.
I discuss the book with people I know, who still practice this denomination and shudder with embarrassment at the admonition that "Don't you know the guy who wrote this book is a Homasexyule."

My answer, that the observations are no less insightful into some of the worst excesses of contemporary Christians, usually means I must duck the ensuing verbal onslaught

Evangelical Christianity from the time of the restoration in about 1952 has claimed to be the flag waving vanguard of the faith, holding back the liberal barbarian at the gate. Since Arthur Wallace launched this brand of Christianity, those who follow tie themselves in knots inventing endless justifications of why they have it right.

If we analyse the previous one thousand nine hundred and fifty years to any great extent we realise that most of the trappings and expression of the Evangelical/Charismatic/Pentecostal faith are
1 Cultural
2 Social norms of right wing, capitalist, conservative politics...

Although I laughed at this book, I did not laugh much, because of the pain of battering my head off a wall.

So a word to all you born againees out there. Take care about reading this book. It may open your eyes to what is only one narrow and often unpleasant aspect of Christianity (the one that has endorsed a lot of war and mayhem). You may end up feeling like Homer Simpson on a bad day.

I hollered. Several people on my job kept talking about this book. What a funny and unique short story. I, too, wondered what in the world could this short story have to offer. Never could I have imagined the wonderful and witty message that came across. I know Sister Betty! Ma Cile and her kids were outrageous. I'm on my way to read the other book from the series, Sister Connie Fuse... I cannot wait until 2003 when Kensington Books puts out the entire series in hardcover. I understand the full Sister Betty story will be included. If its as funny as this one, I'll be the first one online to purchase it.

Kudos to the creator of this great gospel comedy series. I feel sorry for anyone who didn't get the message. I hope I can purchase the videos as well. I love the slogan on the authors website "Any resemblance to those dead or alive is a doggone shame." Ain't that the truth!

This book is one of the funniest books I've every read and should be developed into a sitom! It's funnier than the comedy Amen or any others. I know Sister Betty she belongs to my church!!!

Keep writing Pat!

I read this book October 2000. It was joy to read. Not only is Sister Betty...(opps I mean Pat)a great writer, she is also a great comedian. It was a pleasure meeting you.

For years Betty Crocker, an old 1968 edition my mother received as wedding gift, was the only cookbook I owned. It basically taught me how to cook. As the old edition finally fell apart shortly after my marriage, I purchased the "Betty Crocker New Cookbook" a few years back and it has served me well.

It's still the best, for the money, all-purpose cookbook on the market, offering simple recipes with clear instructions for everyday food we all eat--no nouvelle cuisine here. The updated version simply keeps with the times, adding new techniques which take into account modern equipment and food mores (things like fat, cholesterol and sodium are taken into consider, but this isn't a diet cookbook).

All in all, the "New Betty Crocker Cookbook" is a super all-purpose cookbook, offering well-tested, simple recipes for just about any food you can think of. Alongside the classic "Fannie Farmer Cookbook," the "Joy of Cooking" and something new from Martha Stewart (I like the "Martha Stewart Living Cookbook," which is a compilation of recipes from her magazine) and/or Cook's Illustrated (either "The Best Recipe" or the "Cook's Bible"), the "New Betty Crocker Cookbook" will create a perfectly balanced recipe collection for the experienced cook or novice baker.

As a bride to be a little over a year ago and a cooking nightmare, this was the perfect gift for me. Betty Crocker's cookbook provides step-by-step instructions to everyday dishes and techniques. Included are explanations of what may have gone wrong if your cake/bread/etc. doesn't turn out. Friends have begun to rave at my culinary skills and I am loving the kitchen. The book is also a great reference on how to shop and cook various meats and vegetables. It is like having your mum or another great guide in your kitchen.

What's the matter, cookie? Don't know a sauce-pan from a fondue pot? Not to worry, Aunt Betty Crocker will tell you everything you need to know. In this classic book, appropriately subtitiled "Everything You Need to Know to Cook," you'll be able to make do for dinner in thirty minutes or less, or plan a menu for fifteen guests or more (and set the table appropriately as well), by merely looking up the appropriate recepie. It works at all times, and under all circumstances. Best of all, it assumes no knowledge on the part of the average person! Don't know how to boil water? It's okay, Betty Crocker will walk you through step-by-step through hundreds of mouth-watering recepies; from basic meatloaf to coq-au-vin; with uinformly fine results. Don't wait, cookie. BUY NOW for the best of the Best! It's been called, and is arguably, the ONLY cookbook you'll ever need.

If you like problems and interesting things you better get this book and read it. I rate this book 4 stars because the kids always had a problem. Of course, Mrs Piggle Wiggle had to find a cure for the kids. Such as Sharon- she needed a powder that was called the Heedless Breaker Powder. She needed that powder because she would always break something. I thought that this book was great. I would recommend this book to ages 6 and up.

I have just finshed reading Mrs. Piggle - Wiggle's Magic by Betty MacDonald. In this book Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle tells storys about cures that she made, such as the tattletale cure or the thought-you-saiders cure and many more. I like this book because it has all different kinds of little stories in it. Mrs.Piggle-Wiggle seems like a very nice lady but when she gets poor, she asks all the kids that she knows to help her look for money and gold that is hidden in her house. I gave this book five stars because it was very interesting and a little funny.

I read this book as a child..and never knew there were more books about Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle until I was quite grown up! This one remains my favorite, however. The pages of my copy are quite worn where I turned the pages ...and read and re-read the stories. Yes, times have changed and much is different today from the 50's but Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle's delightful acceptance of children with all their foibles is still an inspiration to all parents --and a reminder to me as a mom to lighten up and laugh with my kids and their antics. Betty MacDonald is very clever in bringing childish faults to light by way of terribly funny situations and even more preposterous cures. I LOVE THIS BOOK! and so do my girls.

I really enjoyed reading King Solomon's Mines. I really love those swashbuckling adventure stories like The Prisoner of Zenda, Scaramouche, and The Scarlet Pimpernel, but it's really difficult to find books like those which have managed to age really well. Fortunately, I have now happened onto another which I can return to.

King Solomon's Mines is the story of Sir Henry Curtis, Captain John Good and the narrator, Allan Quatermain. Curtis's younger brother has recently disappeared in Southern Africa in search of King Solomon's legendary mines. He is very worried, and he engages Good and Quatermain, a hunter, to help him find his brother. The three hire an African, Umbopa, to travel with them and they set out. What follows is there always exciting adventure in which they confront an tyrant king and an evil, sort-of-immortal woman (that will make sense after reading). The novel has just about everything - adventure, women, evil villains, humor, mixed identities, treasure, and an exotic local. It's entertaining stuff.

There's not much to complain about in King Solomon's Mines. The pace is quick. There is a lot of action and humor. I was very pleasantly surprised to find that it wasn't dated. The language isn't archaic and the jokes are still funny. The novel, first published in 1885, won't even offend by being overtly politically incorrect like many novels of that time. Really, this is a totally worthy read for anyone who likes a good adventure.

It's really too bad that most children who love the adventures of Indiana Jones have probably never read (or even heard of) Allan Quatermain and KING SOLOMON'S MINES. This is where it all started! Haggard's first novel chronicles the adventures of Quatermain (okay, so maybe he's not as cool as Indiana Jones), Sir Henry Curtis and Captain John Good as they search South Africa for Sir Henry's brother, who has vanished while searching for King Solomon's treasure.

The novel is the real treasure. The story, while obviously written many years ago (1885), is still fresh and exciting. It was fun to discover this story as a 38-year old kid! Any age will enjoy it. And what a great adventure story to read to your kids instead of taking them to the latest action/adventure junker playing at your local theatre.

Reading "King Solomon's Mines" reminded me of the joke about the guy who sees his first Shakespere play, and when asked what he thought of it, said, "real good, but so many cliches". So it is with this classic adventure story: so much of the action and plot devices were similar to what I remembered from other adventure stories (and comic books and movies), yet Rider Haggard came decades earlier. Here is one of the prototypes (along with Robert Louis Stevenson's "Treasure Island", written just a few years earlier) of the modern adventure-action story. There is lots to admire in this well crafted story: great action, excitement, characters, and exotic locations. If there's a kid you know that only wants to watch television or play video games, read this book with him or her. It shows what words on a page can do in the imagination of the reader.

It is also interesting to see the book in its historical perspective. "King Solomon's Mines", 1885, records European ignorance of and fascination with Africa, which was still partly (as Joseph Conrad later called it in "Heart of Darkness") a blank area on the map: The source of the Nile had been discovered only two decades earlier; Henry Stanley and Richard Burton were still living, the memories of David Livingstone and John Speke were still fresh; and the Berlin Africa Conference was taking place just as the novel was going into print. If that's not of interest to you, skip it. Want to curl up with a good book? Here's one for you and your kids.

This is a good book for people with a casual interest in Indian cooking but if you are really looking for that rich tapestry of flavor and texture that is truly Indian cooking you may be disappointed. The book's ingredients and preparation methods are relatively simple, making it easy for newcomers to make their favorite Indian dish or try out a new chutney. However, Indian cooking is all about spices and I believe the authors compromised on taste in the interests of simplicity. The recipes I fixed looked great but always seemed to be lacking in terms of taste. After trying a dozen recipes with lack luster results I discarded this cookbook in favor of other books with more authentic tastes. In summary, if you want great illustrations and some easy recipes give this book a try. If you truly want to experience the tastes of India, I recommend you try Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking or The Spice is Right: Easy Indian Cooking for Today.

Finally an Indian Cook book that covers the varied regions of India in a tasteful and colorful manner. I have been using this book for several months and have found it to be indispensible. Having grown up in Bombay and now a resident of the US, I find this book very easy to follow and the results have always been authentic and mouthwatering! It is such a breath of fresh air to work with recipies that don't have a laundry list of ingredients that are hard to find in this country, and still have the recipies turn out spectacular. Raghavan always seems to know which ingredients may be hard to find and offers easy to get substitutes. He has clearly demonstrated that Indian food doesn't have to be complicated to be good. What makes this book a resounding success is that it gets the intimidation factor out of Indian food. Now people from all over the world can enjoy Indian cuisine without all the stigma that the word "curry" brings. Thanks Raghavan for bringing Indian Home cooking into the mainstream. In closing I just want to add that not all Indians are as naive as the last two reviewers, who seemed to have completely missed the point of this book.

Betty Crocker's Indian home cooking-recipes by Raghavan Iyer.
This cookbook can definately hold it's own against any others on the market.I own several Indian cookbooks and this was a refreshing addition to my collection.I especially enjoyed the garlic potato croquettes,they made a big hit in my home! sort of--- a sophisticated hush puppy.the minted blackeye peas and rice casserole was also nice,easy to make but with a complex,nicely spiced flavor.
I appreciate the time and effort Betty Crocker and there staff took with the beautifully breathtaking photography&to help demystify what different indian utensil look like.also the info on spicing will be helpful to all who are new to indian food.Mr.Iyer is very clear and precise in his recipes and information so you don't have to worry if your desserts or main dishes will come out true to form or not.speaking of desserts,they have a great indian version of bananas Foster in the book not to mention ice cream(they have eaten that in India for century's)a really great find!! of a great cuisine.BUY the BOOK or say good bye to some good eating.

Some may argue that there is nothing "unwhole" about adoptees. Then again, some people are wildly outraged by adoptees searching - those people usually threatened themselves by the notion for some personal reason. As an adoptee who had a positive adoptive experience I nonetheless felt the need to search. My parents helped me and the experience ultimately did make me feel more "whole", although it was not entirely positive. Lifton writes beautifully and incorporates poetry, folklore and psychology into her tale of the adoptee experience. I don't agree with the emphasis on in-utero and birthing experiences as forming later attitudes, and I also don't think open adoption is for everyone, but I do think this is a wonderful, worthwhile book all people touched by adoption should read.

I have read MANY books on adoption and the impact it has on the triad. Some were good, some were bad, some were REALLY bad. From the moment I picked up this book, I could not put it down. Finally, a book that describes me and the way I feel! It is no longer a mystery as to why I am the way I am! This book is a MUST READ for all members of the adoption triad. I had many "light bulb moments" while reading this book and it has helped me immensely to know that I am not the only adoptee out there thinking and feeling this way. It has also helped me better understand my birth mother and how her experience has affected her. Thank you Betty Jean Lifton for writing this book. It has changed my way of thinking and changed my life for the better!

This book by Betty Jean Lifton is an eye opening experiance for all that may read it. Things became clear to me after reading this book. I have read many books on the subject of adoption and this is the only one that has been the most apealing and helpful to me as an adoptee. Yet my adoptive mother has also read it and thought it was an exceptional book. I could not really explian how I felt or why till I read "Journy of the Adoptive Self." People don't think a book could have so much impact on a sixteen year old. But, this book was my life saver when I hit rock bottom. So, I highly recomend this book to adoptees, adoptive parents and birth parents of all ages. Give it a chance you will see what I am talking about.

I had to buy this one- I had renewed the library copy once too often. I have four kids and use my slow cooker several times a week. I have found most of the recipes in this book reliable, and love the fact that it has nutritional information on the recipes. I have made about ten of the recipes in here and with one exception (the jambalaya) they have all been good. This isn't gourmet cooking by any stretch of the imagination but it's convenient and better eating than fast food for my family.

I was reluctant to buy a crockpot, perhaps because I'm a little bit of a cookery snob. I'm not a pot roast and meatloaf person; I prefer recipes with a little more zing and originality. But when my friends insisted that recipes existed for much more interesting crockpot fare, I browsed through slow cooker books to see if they were right. This is the cookbook that convinced me I should buy a crockpot. Wow.

The Thai Chicken and the Mango Chutney Chicken Curry recipes quickly became favorites in my house. There are also recipes for Cuban Black Beans and Rice, Lamb Dijon, and Squash and Apple Bisque as well as for the crockpot staples. This cookbook isn't satisfied to offer a single stew recipe; it provides nine vastly different ones, using beef, pork, chicken, or even venison. Somehow, good old-fashioned Betty Crocker realized that cooks like me didn't want to compromise much when it came to crockpot cooking.

I highly recommend this book for its non-traditional fare.

This book does wonders with the slow cooker. Most people think that all you do with a crockpot is stews and soups but this recipe book allows you to make wonderful meals and desserts. I tell people what I make in my crockpot and they can't believe it. They want the recipes. Put it together the night before and turn it on in the morning. I plan ahead which meals I'm going to make, make the food list for the store and I find I buy less junk. I highly recommend this cookbook. And for the person that asked for shorter cooking times if you don't have the time use a timer. Set up your crockpot recipe the night before and set a timer to turn on the crockpot while you sleep so that the dinner will be ready earlier . (Subtract the hours of cooking from the time you need the dinner to be done and set the timer accordingly). The whole idea of crockpot cooking is SLOW. If you need something quick use a microwave.