Medieval Masculinities (Regarding Men in the Middle Ages), edited by Claire A. Lees, is, like many collections of essays by different scholars, something of mixed bag. The very broad topic makes this more evident than usual in this particular volume. The essays take the tools of feminist criticism and focus it instead on the men. It may be in literature, such as Beowulf, Castilian ballads or the fables of Marie de France, or in such topics as matrimony in medieval Italy. The essays vary in quality and the all suffer a little from taking a large topic and distilling it into a few pages which may leave a reader either confused or overwhelmed. Each of the scholars takes a different perspective on the topic as well with some essays seemingly barely related to the subject. Some of the pieces are of definate interest and this book, hopefully, will launch more fully developed research into this potentially important arena.

While this book was not a particulary fun read, it is very helpful in understanding the organization of ancient Mesoamerican myth. It is wordy and sometimes confusing, but sheds light on Mesoamerican studies and can be helpful in further understanding of the Mesoamerican writing systems of the Mixtec and Maya. It was most helpful for reading The Codex Borgia which can also be purchased at this site.

Ever since having watched Impromptu with Hugh Grant, I have wanted to read this book. I read Indiana, which I didn't like a lot, but Sand's autobiography is a great story that one enjoys reading. Swings of her mood, her independence, her love for men. It's great, although it's not a masterpiece of literature. But maybe it's better in French. If you want to know about her life, read the book, but don't expect Hugh Grant in there. As far as I've read, the movie is much more interesting.

This is a book that I purchased about 8 years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child. We love the bright and childlike graphics, and the general story line, it is easy to read and easy to understand. However, before my children learned to read and I was still reading to them I would always omit the line on page 3 that goes as follows..."And, sometimes he caught a hard smack across his backside when he was late for dinner!." I find this line terribly offensive and completly out of context to the rest of the story...We have actually blacked it out, now that the children are reading their own books. I would be very curious to know, how in this day and age of anti-child abuse literature and people being better informed of the alternative forms of discipline available to parents, how did this book ever get published with such a blatant display of child abuse. I find it harsh and offensive.

I know Australia is at the end of the world for most Americans and Canadians, but I would presume that an ethnic cooking "expert" such as Barer-Stein presents herself to be could access more up to date information than the 30 year old sources used in her book.
Inaccuracies abound - including "home freezers are not yet common", "skim milk is not widely accepted", "cheeses are not a usual part of the diet", "potatoes are expensive"!!! and the unbelieveable lunch "the working person will have an inexpensive hot plate of mince, potato, and peas" -- Yuk! And certainly not a food habit of my living memory.
Not to mention the glossary: an amazing hodge-podge of food from the 1950s, New Zealand Maori seafood and strange fare such as a molehill "a desert of almond-filled prunes coated and mounded with gelatin, whipped eggs and cream and topped with chocolate" which nobody I know has ever heard of.
We also now eat kangaroo, emu and crocodile steaks, but never never never has goanna "a large fatty lizard, often eaten grilled" ever graced any South Australian table.
So - don't waste your money. This book is a sloppy updating of the author's 20 year old study. Firefly Books should be embarrassed to have it in their catalog.

Me encanta leer libros de cocina y pense que este sería "el libro" para conocer arte y costumbres culinarias de otros paises. Como soy originario de México y ahora vivo en Brasil, lo primero que leí fue lo referente a estoa paises. QUE DECEPCIÓN!

La idea del libro es excelente y seguramente la autora tuvo que viajar, leer y estudiar mucho, pero pienso que debió haber pedido ayuda a que revisaran sus capítulos personas conocedoras de cada país o región.

Tiene muchos errores históricos, geográficos, culinarios y de ortografía del idioma original. Estoy preparando una lista de ellos que posteriormente enviaré.

La felicito por su dedicación, perodes graciadamente el resultado no es del todo bueno.

Hans Rio de Janeiro/Brasil

This book is truly a labor of love. No other book has such varied multicultural information all in one place. This book should be celebrated for its diversity and insight into the world of every imaginable cooking experience on the planet. I value this book highly for it's insight into a world I may not be able to visit without a reading tour. I have found her research to mirror much of my own research and I would highly recommend this book to those who look at cooking from an intellectual level and are curious about other cultures. My grandmother has always told me I have a Norwegian heritage and I was delighted by the 7 carefully written pages on this subject. If you want an overview of cooking from Africa, Albania, America, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Holland, England, France, Germany, Iran or even Japan....this is the book for you. While you will not find recipes you will finally understand what Mealie-meal is or why Bobotie is so good. For recipes from all over the globe you will have to wait for my cookbook to be published.

I kept waiting for something to happen. There is no moral to this story. It narrarates a duck's wedding, period. There is too much text for the physical size of the book. The story does not engage the reader. There is no focal point to the illustrations; they are too complex, faded, and crammed together (also because of the book's small format). The author should have familiarized herself with current children's picture books before tackling such a project.