"The Art of the Chinese Cookery" is an excellent cookbook for anyone interested in Chinese cooking, from the novice to the advanced. Joan Shih has taken her original and authentic recipes taught in her cooking school and assembled them into a beautiful hardcover cookbook. The book is organized just like her successful cooking school of more than 20 years, starting with basic recipes that teach the techniques of proper cutting and wok cooking, and building up to the Gourmet III dishes that are great for entertaining. The recipes cover all area of Chinese cuisine, from the Cantonese dim sum and seafood, to the hot and spicy foods of Sichuan and Hunan, to the hearty food of Northern China. The recipes cover the American favorites like egg rolls and stir fries, as well as the elegant dinner-party dishes like tea smoked duck and steamed whole fish. Each recipe is clearly written and easy to follow, and Joan Shih provides nutritional content (calories, fat, etc.) for each dish. And because presentation is an important part of Chinese cuisine, there are color photographs of nearly each of the more than a hundred recipes.

This cookbook is for both the beginner and experienced cook and belongs on every cooks shelf. I have personally prepared every recipe in this cookbook and have thoroughly enjoyed eating every dish. I have lived in Asia and love authentic Chinese cooking. The recipes are very well written, precise and easy to follow. I have shared the recipes with friends to their delight and have learned enough about chinese cooking - food preparation, seasoning, cooking, presentation, etc. to successfully improvise on my own. I recommend this cookbook without reservations.

To me Joan Carris knows the minds of children, especially boys. Characterization was clean and sharp giving the mystery life, and an English flavor which is attractive to this age group. I have tried to give a French flavor to my new book, Animal Academy, and appreciated seeing how Joan did this. The learning impaired boy, Todd, gave the story a thread running through it to hold it together.

This is an excellent book on disabilities and living with the eldering. I use it as a read aloud in my fifth grade classroom.

Claudia's Aunt Sophia raised cane when she settled into the ground---taking her diamonds with her, a final act of revenge. Claudia could care less. She never knew the obnoxious aunt while she was alive. But when Sir Hillary Thoreau, an ex-comrade of her Aunt Sophie, started following Claudia about, she needed reveal where his persistant interests aimed--for Claudia or Aunt Sophie's Diamonds.

Witty, adventurous, true-to-life characters. This easy story read is terrific, especially if you are a fan of Joan Smith's novels.

This book may be the best in Joan Smith's Regency Romance series. Her books are known for their witty, clever dialogue and their touch of suspense. This one has all those characteristics and more. This is one I will not part with and have read a least five times.

If you have ever experienced Aura-Soma you must have this book in your personal library. Known as the Aura-Soma Practitioner's Bible, this book gives indepth information on Aura-Soma and it's main product line. The primary focus of this book is on the 100+ Equilibrium Bottles giving detailed information on all aspects of each bottle.

This book also has all you will ever need to know about the Aura-Soma Pomanders and Quintessences. If you don't know what they are, you need to read the book to find out. Easy to follow, and easy to use, this book is a must. Lots of information for very little money.

I have personally worked with the Aura Soma system with much success and this book is absolutely essential if you plan to try this healing modality- explains the meaning of color in the Aura Soma system, the chakras, tarot and I Ching correlation with the various balance bottles

Sean and Brian Quinn look for the causes and perpetrators of a series of accidents that have set preservationists against developers, who want to tear down Redoaks' old Culbertson Theater.

Part 3 of the Disney Adventure series "CaseBusters". for me the best of the series. The story is all about the two boys called Brian and Sean Which go in a series of unexplainable Horror cases.In This Episode a knocked down theather a crime happens so brian and sean go to investigation and this leads them to a terrifiying confrontation... with a ghost . Not mentioning the author the 4 time Edgar award winner Joan Lowery Nixon. It's good and exciting !

This book is exquisite! The directions it contains are crystal clear, and the beautiful color graphics give it a lot of esthetic appeal. It is very easy to use and learn from. This book deserves to be thought of as a classic in its field. We should be grateful that we live in a time of computers and books such this one that they make possible.

The book is very well organized. One can start a project or task from the book without reading the whole book -- every step is detailed and well illustrated. There are enough examples of useful items to encourage beginners, and to stimulate the more experienced quilter or fabric artist. It is delightful to the senses, and every fabric artist should have it.

My friend who was wed in Las Vegas after a two-week whirlwind courtship recommended this book to me before I was married. Needless to say her marriage did not last, but she knew this book could help my future husband and I discuss the things that she and her husband did not. Make sure you get your partner to read at least parts of the book if not the whole thing so they have a better understand how serious the discussion needs to be, because their perspective is really critical.

This book isn't just for Catholics. It applies to all faiths and even has a chapter on interfaith marriages and the discourse that need to take place to help buffer some of the obstacles to come.

This book reads very quickly and is filled with insight. It is a must for any couple to be married, especially if you do not plan on any other marriage preparation.

This book gets you ready for marriage and helps your marriage. I'd recommend this book for anyone getting ready to marry or is married.

I have read Beloved Avenger, Beloved Intruder and now Beloved Deceiver (I'm still trying to find Beloved Pretender) Ms. Van Nuys has an incredible gift of storytelling. I loved it that two sisters fall in love with two very wonderful men. Both started out with revenge in their minds but upon meeting the daughters of the man they seek revenge from, they decide to "wait a while". Life would be boring if there wasn't someone out there trying to make it difficult. In this case it's Jeremy an idiot who wants the fortune either of these beauties can bring to him. Never a dull moment in this book. Once you pick it up, you will be hard pressed to put it down. As the book comes to an end, you may find you want to read faster just to find what happens next. The ending is outstanding, it's better than I imagined. I wish Ms. Van Nuys would write a book about Mac, the friend who is like a brother to Aisha. Nevertheless, you won't be disappointed if you find and purchase this out of print book. I would try used paperback book stores or even Amazon's auctions.

Having just finished reading _Beloved Deceiver_ for at least the 20th time, I felt compelled to write a review for it. I was shocked to see that no one had reviewed this book! If you haven't read it, you just don't know what you're missing! If you have and haven't posted your review, you really should, to let people know what a wonderful book it is. _Beloved Deceiver_ is a book of three interwoven love stories. First you have Ana and Ben, then the romances of their two daughters, Aimee and Ayisha. This book has it all! Pirates, exotic Princesses, intrigue, and a plot so well woven together you become completely immersed in the story before you even know what hit you. Not to mention three heroes that will melt your heart! Ms. Van Nuys has done a superb job of developing characters that are not only believable but truly likable. I'm disappointed to see that it along with many of her other books that I haven't had the pleasure of reading are now out of print. If you can find any of her work you really shouldn't pass it up.

WHAT!? "Appropriate for academic and women's studies collections" sounds like the kiss of death for a literary work, and that should not happen to Benigna Machiavelli. This utterly delightful work was passed to me by a (male) friend and, well, ok, I confess it sat on my shelf for months while I continued with my usual fare of crime, warfare, and science fiction. Then one day it was raining too hard to go out and I ran out of books. This is something I usually take great care to prevent as I love a good yarn when I have the time, usually a good "feisty" yarn. In desperation I picked Benigna up and started to read . . . and was hooked. Ms. Gilman clearly understands and delights in the human situation. She describes a young girl facing and solving the problems of her day with wit and humor that goes way beyond her gender. So I say, "To hell with dusty "women's studies collections." This is a great read for anyone with even a smidgeon of interest in the workings of the human mind, and it is an especially great read for any man interested in women.

This work by Charlotte Perkins Gilman is the fictional memoir of a girl grown to womanhood on her own terms. At an early age she decides to become a "good villian" and use her considerable intellect and common sense to make her own life, and the lives of those around her, better. The heroine of the story tackles everything, from obtaining supplies for her school, saving her sister from a would-be seducer, and rescuing the family from their own abusive father, to running her own boarding house, matchmaking for her sister, and helping her mother heal and grow. She succeeds, with wit and style. And Charlotte Perkins Gilman succeeds in creating a highly readable work that both teaches and heals the reader by portraying a better way of life, without preaching.

This is an exciting adventure story that keeps the reader's interest while modeling values without being preachy. My eight-year-old just finished this as part of our Viking studies. He enjoyed it greatly and would read us his favorite passages. I found the historical elements complemented what we had already learned from non-fiction. While this type book is generally what would be considered a "boys' books", the presence of a strong major female character might make this book more appealing to some of the girls than other stories of this genre. Ness is in the midst of the action, and exhibits courage, intelligence, and compassion. These and other virtues are shown in the characters as traits worthy to develop. Specifically, Beorn learns the dangers of pride and how a Viking chief can be both gentle and strong. A great book - I highly recommend.

I thoroughly enjoyed this story set in the 9th century ofIreland. The main characters are Beorn, 12 year old son of a Vikingsea king, and Ness, a young Irish girl who has just witnessed the raiding of her village by the Vikings. Ness is taken captive by Beorn and is forced to go to Denmark with the Vikings. The contrast between the gentle irish farmers and the proud and cruel Vikings is great, but we also see the courage of both races as the two slowly become friends. Ness' christian faith shines amidst the turmoil of constant raiding and plundering. The living conditions of the Irish and the Danes are seen and hints of the influence of Norse history. It is easy to care about Ness, but Madeleine Pollands skillful writing made me start to care about Beorn also. Exciting, inspiring, historical and good literature make this book a good resource for homeschoolers.