I reviewed this book a long time ago, back before Amazon kept track of us... (I'm the one that mentions the astonished Mary over coffee).... The reason I wanted to revisit this review, though, is more than just because I wanted credit. This book is truly astonishing-- this Christmas, I had it out on the table as part of my holiday decor and the friends & family who looked at it were all delighted. I think my favorite part is still the same-- the way Vivas illustrates a real looking family with the classic story. But another thing that is important to me is that she shows Joseph taking active part in his child's nurturing (even if he is technically a "stepdad"). The illustrations are gorgeous and the text is the classic, poetic King James version. Love it!

Julie Vivas has created a version of King James' story of the Nativity that includes a holy family that fits today's concept of family-- there are scenes where an astonished Mary converses over coffee with the Angel of the Lord, and where Joseph snuggles a wiggling Christ Child following the birth. This illustrator has shown a thoughtful consideration of a timeless and special moment in Christian tradition/doctrine. I love this book and bought it, even though I don't have children (yet) because I love the way Vivas includes everyone in this story.

This is my all time favorite nativity book. I have purchased additional copies for each of my three children and at least one classroom. Julie Vivas's illustrations are wonderfully fanciful and humorous. I love having a view of Mary being hoisted up onto the donkey and later, the naked baby Jesus. The story is a KJV and formal, which is in beautiful contrast to the illustrations. I highly recommend this book!

I always said I would never want to relive my teenage years. Now that I have read this book, I would love to go back. This book could have saved me from a lot embarassment and depression. It is a must have for any teenage girl today. It's like having a user manual for teens. If you are a parent of a teen girl, you have to get this for her. She will love you for it. It answers the question every teen has, "Am I the only one that feels this way?" or "Does this only happen to me?".

GirlWise covers just about any situation I might be in where I need to be cool and calm and make a good impression. From job interviews to party planning, this book has it all. My fave is "How to write a poem." Very inspiring. All the women who give advice in this book are so cool and amazing. Awesome role models. It's like getting 100 mentors for different parts of life that are so important, all in one.

Where was this book when I was growing up? If your are uncomfortable with yourself, find yourself in awkward situations or just don't know what to do in quasi-emergencies as, I admit, happened to me more than once, Girlwise is the book to go to. Not only is it full of advice on such diverse topics as self confidence to creating your own web site to, my favorite, what to do about a clogged toilet, but it is witty and a great read. Situations are dealt with by not only professionals in the field but by teens themselves.
This grandmother is giving Girlwise to all the girls she knows from preteen (be prepared) up.

We got books instead of the usual souvenirs on our trip to London. The Gruffalo was the biggest hit of the bunch. It reads effortlessly and our kids adore it! They already know all the words by heart and have taken to making up different tunes to go with the "lyrics." The illustrations give the storyline a sweet but not sacharine feel. Axel Sheffler is now our favorite illustrator. Check out his other books -- Juice the Pig. written by Martine Oborne You're a Hero, Daley B. written by Jon Blake Monkey Puzzle. written by Julia Donaldson -- if you love the Gruffalo, these are must-haves as well.

Whatever I might write about this book will hardly convey how wonderful it is. It is an ace in ALL categories, illustrations are beautiful and fun, story is lovley, clever, sweet and original, kids LOVE LOVE LOVE it; parents love it. What more can you ask. Buy it, and I am sure you will want to pass it on to all your friends' kids too so that they won't miss out. We have all Julias books and NONE disappoint.

We love the little mouse in this book! This brave little mouse used his brain to conquer the obstacles in his world. The ending makes me smile so much.

This is a great book for both beginners and the expierienced Aromatherapist with detailed information of herbs and Essential Oils, along with a bit of History, detailed discussions of many (?) essential oils, classified by botanical family. Beautifully Illustrated botanicals for the browser and the serious. Gives insight into Massage,recipes and formulas for beauty,cleansing, and healing. Also formulas for disorders of the physical,emotional,spirtual and whole body.Along with precise methods of use. Concise details of each plant and its origin and properties. A good overall book for everyone interseted in Aromatherapy.

I have ordered this book, and I have yet to put it down!! There are at least 165 essential oils in this book, along with the photos that correspond with the name of the oil/herbs. This book shows a very beautiful illustration of aromatherapy, and it tells you which oils to avoid as well. I would say to any aspiring aromatherapist, or someone who is doing this as a hobby, this is THE book you need to add to your collection.

This was one of the first and still one of the best books I have on essential oils. About 3/4ths of the book gets 99% of
my usage -- the section on the Oils.

Extensive and consistent description of 167 different oils filed under latin names. Full index allows reference by almost any common name.

Each entry takes 1 page and contains pictures of the oil, the plant, various parts of the plant, how the oil is distracted, what plant parts are used, description of scent, major chemical composition, other and related species, area(s) of the world the plant comes from, what mixes well with it, safety data, effect on the body, aromatherapy and home medical uses, other uses, synonyms and other common names, latin plant family and herbal/folklore tradition: i.e. extensively complete!

I'm honestly surprised if I run into someone who claims to be an aromatherapists and doesn't have this book in their library.

I hope she comes out with an expanded/updated edition as more plants are beginning to be used in A.T. and wouldn't mind if she included a section on chemistry (like information from "Advanced Aromatherapy: The Science of Essential Oil Therapy" by Kurt Schaubelt, excellent book, but doesn't cover nearly enough oils).

This isn't a formula book, but with the 'blends well with'
information and the 'effects', you can come up with your own recipes that often do the trick. Only problem is that I come up with too many options!

The book Finding H.F. by Julia Watts is the story of a very unique sixteen-year old named Heavenly Faith Simms. Her religious grandmother, Gemma, gave the name to her. Though Gemma insists on calling her by Heavenly Faith, everyone else knows her as H.F. Abandoned by her mother as a child, H.F. is a social outcast at school... Later, H.F. discovers that Gemma had been communicating with her mother. And so, Bo and H.F. take a road trip to Florida only to find a new world and a new relationship for themselves. Along the way they make new friends and enjoy new experiences outside of the "southern U.S. bubble". If you like the book Girl Goddess #9 by Francesca Luis Block, you will love this book. However, I recommend this book only to girls that are in the eighth grade and above because the details and concept require a mature attitude towards the theme.

I found this book by accident one day while browsing in a gay bookstore in downtown Atlanta. From page one I loved it. H.F. is someone we all wish we could meet. Male or female. I totally fell in love with Beau (why can't I find a man like that?) and just her journey, not just physically, but emotionaly is enough to touch us all. A lot of people find it hard to go from the city to the country or vice versa but Ms. Watts genuinely brings our characters, stranded in a small hick town in Ketucky, to Atlanta and beyond without a hitch. By the time I'd driven from the store to my home I was halfway through the book; stoplights ARE helpful sometimes. Excellent novel. Excellent writer. Im hooked on Julia Watts.

I was browsing through a gay bookstore in atlanta and just happend upon this book. Now I can't get enough! The characters really come alive off the page and I think many who read will relate to either Bo or H.F. I know I certainly did! The books main focus is about a young lesbian in Kentucky but as a gay male I found the entire thing to be a true work of art! I really enjoyed Ms. Watts book.

I am a 24 year old female who has been secretly yearning to try snowboarding. I haven't because I didn't know what stuff to rent or buy, or how not to look stupid. After reading this book, I can't wait to try it. Great explanations of what gear is best for women and why, and detailed explanations of what to do once you are on the snow. Very lighthearted and encouraging tone.

This book really helped me prepare for my first day snowboarding. I used a lot of the techniques presented on my first day. The authors gives great tips and there are tons of photos. She explains everything really well. There is also a section on what to look for when buying equipment which will come in handy once you get better at snowboarding. It is a great book for women because it is written for women from a woman's point of view. Extremely helpfull!

This book has help me a lot, and kept me from giving up! The photos in the book is very helpful for me to visualize the body position. The text is simple and clear, without extra useless words. The book made snowboarding sound really fun and interesting, which encouraged me a lot when I went through hard time learning the sport. I really like the fact that this book was written for women by a woman. Afterall, women do snowboard differently than men!

I have purchased four copies of this book, one for myself and one for each of my children who have children. I was immediately drawn to the soft colors, peaceful pictures in gentle tones, and the rhythm of the words. The children (and their animal friends) pictured going off to dreamland are from different countries. Going to sleep is pictured and told as a gentle, peaceful, safe and enjoyable experience. The moon and milky way are wonderfully illustrated. I just want to go there! I hope this book comes back in print because I have more children with children and friends with children and it is a perfect gift. The text is in gentle words and wonderful rhythm. The illustrations almost bring tears to my eyes. My grandchildren never tire of having me read this book. I never tire of reading it to them.

This is the most beautifully written and illustrated book I have ever seen. It makes a perfect gift for moms to be!

This book is truly one-of-a-kind; it is the stuff "dreams are made of!" It makes me smile and yawn reading to my daughter most every night! She actually looks forward to going to sleep as much as I do!

It is a child's Fantasy book. It truly entices your child to want to go to sleep in such a beautiful way! The premise of the story is when you fall asleep you enter into a dreamland--a magical place where you can fly in the clouds, play with other boys and girls from around the world, ride on the moon and stars and into the arms of.... ( it's a surprise).

Another thing that makes this book so special is that it comes in your choice of pink or blue lettering. So if you want to give it as a baby gift to someone you have a more personalized gift.

I highly recommend this book to every one! Every child loves beautiful pictures like these! Julia Noonan, the illustrator, is remarkable! Hats off to you Julia! Also of course, thanks to Mary C. Carpenter for sending children "to a really good place: Dreamland...wide open for possibilities."

Precioso libro,a los que no somos dominicanos nos hace volvernos dominicanos viviendo y sintiendo lo que nuestros hermanos pasaron en esa dictadura infernal. Preciosa forma de hacernos vivir los escenarios, los personajes y el ambiente que se vivio en esa era. Bravia historia de las hermanas que quisieron ser parte y no simples espectadoras de la liberacion de su pais, quien lea este libro va a llorar y sentirse en adhesion a esta Mariposas heroicas. Vivan las Mariposas.

Daisy Beltran

Wichita< Kansas

Reviewer: luismendez@codetel.net.do from DOMINICAN REPUBLIC CONSIDERO ESTE LIBRO COMO UNO DE LOS MEJORES DE JULIA ALVAREZ. ESTE LIBRO DESMITIFICA LAS HERMANAS MIRABAL Y LAS LLEVA A UN CONTEXTO MAS HUMANO, MENOS IDEALISTA Y MAS REALISTA, MAS PROXIMO A NOSOTROS QUE NO ESTUVIMOS AHI Y NECESITAMOS MARCOS DE REFERENCIAS. NO QUEREMOS TENER HEROES Y HEROINAS QUE PAREZCAN INIMITABLES, SINO PERSONAS DE CARNE Y HUESO QUE LUCHEN HASTA EL FINAL POR LO QUE CREEN. EXCELENTE LECTURA

luis mendez

Mucho se ha escrito sobre la dictuadura de Trujillo en Republica Dominicana, pero esta historia es la mas humana de las que se han contado. Nos lleva a conocer QUE ES lo que convierte a una persona en heroe o heroina. Nos muestra la dictadura desde la perspectiva de los habitantes mas sencillos. Es lindo conocer la personalidad de cada una de las hermanas Mirabal. Recomiendo leer este libro y tambien "La Fiesta del Chivo", de Vargas Llosa, para tener un panorama completo de lo que es una dictadura. Ambos libros se complementan de una forma genial, pues los dos son excelentes a su manera.

I have little that is critical to say about this book: I bought it with certain purposes in mind (to find a few authentic recipes for certain classic French dishes such as Coq au Vin which I first tasted in Manhattan in New York at a young age) and to find a few new ones for French HOME cooking (and not whatever is 'nouvelle cuisine,at that, about which I have only read, in any case), and it has more than fulfilled them. The recipe for Coq au Vin de Bourgogne (which I have yet to prepare but have read carefully and will be making before long), for example, is not just presented in a cut and dried fashion, but the instructions for what Elizbeth David calls "A typical Burgundian recipe, from the Cloche d'Or in Dijon", are given and then discussed by the author as to ways of proceeding, given the difficulties that she has noted, in practice, in making it. (In the case of this recipe she does not just say in her list of ingredients that is made with red wine, but specifies a sound red Burgundy, Beaujolais, or Macon. Since I had never made it, and had viewed making it with some trepidation, I appreciated the fact that not only has she included an obviously excellent recipe for it, but she has, in the course of her presentation and discussion, persuaded me that, even though I know I can't make it adequately well, perhaps if I pay attention to what she writes in this cookbook, and I just follow the(this) recipe(s), more or less, what results may be food which will be (just, at least?) good enough. Of course I was interested in her recipe for Boeuf à la Bourguiginone (which is something which, as of this time, I have yet to make, but had more than planned on cooking at this time, in that I had prepared it to the point at which it could be stored to be completed later, which became necessary, since I got into a car accident recently, and am still recovering from some trauma, so this wonderful dish has to wait until I am truly fine), which is is worth reading and paying attention to, although of that, I have others which are not to be dismissed either. A further remark or two. This cookbook has so many interesting recipes that I haven't had the time to read all that many of them (nor have I owned it that long). One section, not to be overlooked entirely, is on the preparation of vegetables, and I was grateful to read there not only a recipe or two for the lowly leek without its necessarily being the leek in leek and potato soup, or the same in just leek soup, but, the leek as, yes, a vegetable, in good standing, WITHOUT her calling it "the asparagus of the poor"!! Finally, there is a recipe for Escargots farcis for which I cannot find the 'ingredients' for in my area . The 'ingredients" I am referring to are BOTH the shells and the snails which were sold separately in a local chain supermarket in my neighborhood, years ago, on the upper East side of Manhattan. Unfortunately that supermarket is no longer there. I am glad that the recipe for Escargots is included in David's French Provincial Cooking (the cooking of the various regions and provinces of France, not just Provence, is discussed in her wonderful introduction, followed the recipes from the same), since I hope to find them here at a later date. This cookbook, then, is quite a find for me, and it will continue to be in times to come. To some extent this review is premature because I have not actually made, or even read, all that I would like to of her recipes yet, but it seems to be that time anyway, which means that already this has proved to be a wonderfully helpful cookbook (if , for example, you know how to make mayonnaise but haven't done so for a while, and need help, and even calming, along the way, what she has to say in this cookbook is well worth reading and may even help you with all of that), which I highly recommend.

What I wanted was a book of unfussy French recipes to be done in 15 minutes. What I got was a book with no list of ingredients, no photos, no color, and "a useful dish for those who have to get a dinner ready when they get home from the office" taking 3 hours to cook (Daube de Boeuf Provencale). Obviously, it seemed, I had made the wrong choice.

On further reading, however, what unfolded was something beyond a "cookbook," and ultimately more useful. This is a superb book. French Provincial Cooking should be approached and read as a series of short stories, as well written and evocative as the best literature. The voice is highly personal and opinionated, sometimes sharp and catty, but always true and ultimately sympathetic. It is always entertaining.

And the recipes, it turns out, are less intimidating than at first glance. Most importantly, they work if your aim is to produce the most excellent food imaginable. There is nothing slick here, no L.A. hype or N.Y. blah blah blah, and obviously, they have been tried and perfected; what initially seem to be annoying details (e.g., for omelettes, eggs "should not really be beaten at all, but stirred," whereas for scrambled eggs, they should be "very well beaten") are actually secrets not to be skipped, that elevate a good dish to a superb one. The lesson is that good food should be done simply, but it takes care, attention to detail, and frequently, time.

I find these recipes don't stint on the butter, cream, and wine, making them seem a little frumpy, but every one I've tried has been delicious. Ratatouille, salade Nicoise, terrinee de porc, piperade are all the best I've had. It doesn't get much better than this. Deserts are a model of simplicity and elegance; peaches with sugar and white wine; bananas with sugar, kirsch, and cream; pineapple with kirsch. These ARE easy, and thankfully, E. David had the self-confidence to actually put them down in a book.

French Provincial Cooking is superb in all ways. It's the real thing!

The truly remarkable thing about Elizabeth David was not so much that she could write enthralling and compelling cookbooks ("Mediterranean Food", "French Provincial Cooking", "Italian Cooking"), but that she transformed a glum, drab post-war England by the beauty of her prose and her ability to evoke the sunshine and brilliant colours of the mediterranean. And, further north, the simple beauty of cuisine bourgeoise, home cooking french style.

It was this book that got me started on a lifetime of home cooking. Like all great cookbooks, it can be read and savored without cooking at all. Her ability to evoke time and place is startling -- for example, her recipe for little courgette souffles is wrapped in the story of how she first enjoyed them. Of course, this was in a small country restaurant where the proprietor used his own recipe to make them for her.

She talks vividly about La Mere Poulard and her Mont St. Michel omelettes, for which she offers the original recipe. Roughly translated from the french, it reads: "Monsieur, I get some good eggs, I put them in a bowl and beat vigorously. Then I put them into a pan with good butter and stir constantly. I will be very happy if this recipe gives you pleasure".

I remember, over 30 years ago, the first time I made her recipe for pork chops "to taste like wild boar". They do indeed, and very good they are. Her recipes for classics like Cassoulet, and Bouillabaisse are vivid and provide the cultural context as well as precise directions. Her description of a bouillabaisse on the beach makes you want to catch the next plane there.

She explains the environment of her recipes, their milieu, and their progenitors so that you get right inside the whole theory and practice of french cooking. This is not haute cuisine, though it is not always simple to execute. But her sympathy for the process of cooking and her ability to describe it precisely prefigured writers like Richard Olney and Alice Waters, who owe her, as do we all, a great debt.

In any case, she is directly responsible for the appalling culinary assaults I have perpetrated on family and friends for longer than I care to remember. I still use the book, though most of its pages are now stored directly in my memory.

[...]
It was very difficult to grasp in Latin (I've had a try on it),
not that much easy in the Motte facsimile translation (I can assure it), and the Cajori-Motte edition was only half modernized and otherwise flawed.

This edition, sponsored by I.B. Cohen (the Latin editor) gives us a fresh, modern English translation of the text, and -almost as thick- a guide to using and reading this all-important book, which is not -as everybody is aware- an easy reader. One word of caution: Newton was, of course, (pace Leibnitz) the discoverer of calculus, but he doesn't use it here, but "more geometrico"
rigorous proofs, much in the style of that other genius of all ages, Archimedes. If you need help grasping the contents and impact of this work, then you must get some book like DENSMORE, D., Newton's Principia: The Central Argument (other auxiliary books are commented in the Guide potion of the book I'm reviewing).

I've seen bad reviews for master works of science in the past. Mostly they claim these books are either not clear or impossible to understand. Don't buy this book for the purpose of learning Classical Mechanics or Calculus from it, but for the scientific curiosity of learning how the great Isaac Newton presented his revolutionary scientific ideas to the world. Of course, it is difficult to read. This is a translation of a book written in Latin more than 300 years ago!

This book is a jewel. Just like the original works of Einstein, Maxwell, Heisenberg, Schroedinger and all those giants. Many of the ideas presented in the book were written for the first time in history and probably they are not organized in a didactic form. The person buying this book should not expect to find a clear textbook when originally it was not written for the layman, but for the expert scientific community of its time. Buy this book, sit back, scan through it, and enjoy a true piece of history.

Among a very select few others including the Bible and the Code of Hammurabi, this is one of the most important books ever written. This is where Isaac Newton first publicly put forth the calculus and the scientific method. A tremendous intellectual rupture that we are still dealing with, this book was indirectly responsible for historical shifts such as the Enlightenment and the Industrial Revolution. No mean feat.

The Principa is not an introductory calculus for the modern reader. It is written in Newton's own notational style. This style is different from the modern one, used in calculus today. The modern calculus notation system was devised by Leibniz. Newton's system of notation proved less useful than Leibniz's, and the better one has won out. Leibniz had independently discovered the calculus prior to the publication of Principia. Thus, Leibniz was not influenced by Newton's notational style. Leibniz's discovery of the calculus was made in secret on the continent several years after Newton had made his own secret discovery of it in Britain. Leibniz's work was published only after Newton's Principia was published. This led Newton to wrongly believe that his work had been stolen. An epic debate between the British and continental academies ensued with each side championing their man.

This book has enormous historical interest. For a person who is already educated in calculus, this book will take you to the source of the subject matter, the mouth of the Nile, so to speak. As for the scientific method, this is where it was conceived.