Controlling diabetes goes beyond reducing sugar intake: it also involves staying healthy by reducing fat and increasing exercise. Whole Foods Diabetic Cookbook promotes a vegetarian diet high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains and beans and is especially valuable for its tips on how to juggle diabetic needs with vegetarian perspectives. Recipes are simple and easy to follow.

Enhanced with information on diabetes and nutrition by Patricia Berton, The Whole Foods Diabetic Cookbook by Patricia Stevenson and Michael Cook offers an imaginative and diabetically sound approach to using whole grains, legumes, vegetables, and fruit in a culinary wealthy of meat-free recipes, each designed to help control diabetes naturally. The reader is provided with an informative overview of diabetes and how to control diabetes through diet and exercise, along with an invaluable section on meeting the nutrient needs of the diabetic including fiber in the diet, counting calories, carbs, protein and fat, as the vegetarian diet with respect to minerals and vitamins. Of special interest is the information provided on exchange lists for meal planning, as well as cooking and shopping tips. The delicious, palate pleasing, appetite satisfying recipes range from Strawberry Muffins; Tofu Potato Salad; and Vegetable Fried Rice; to Falafel; Broccoli-Mushroom Casserole; and Apple-Oat Drop Cookies. The Whole Foods Diabetic Cookbook is a strongly recommended addition to the cookbook collection for diabetics.

I turn to this cookbook regularly. Whether I'm cooking for myself, for company, or for a potluck dinner, I can always find something good *and* easy in its pages. The Far East Fried Rice recipe is now my standard (and much-complimented) potluck dish, and several others, including the Easy Lentil Stew, are regulars in my kitchen. Although I was a meat eater and therefore not used to vegetarian cooking when I bought this book, I never found the recipes to call for ingredients I couldn't find at my regular grocery store, or thought that the end products were anything less than delicious. This is more than just a cookbook -- the helpful discussion of nutrition and diabetes at the beginning of the book makes it a good reference, too -- but the recipes are really what makes it special. The cooking directions are brief but thorough and easy to follow. Also, because I am now a vegan, I greatly appreciate the simple and tasty recipes for making alternatives to standard cheese dishes. Whether you are a vegetarian/vegan or not, whether you need to follow a diabetic diet or not, I recommend this cookbook highly.

Michael Cook,,,, well, I know he partnered up with Patricia Crone to formulate a radical theory about the origins of Islam which has yet to really move the learned community; save those neo-orientalist who can't quite figure this "Islam thing" out no matter how many journals they publish or how many books they read. It seems to me that when Michael Cook and Patricia Crone teamed up it is similar to Picketts charge during the battle of Gettysburg. While that charge didn't end the war, it delivered a serious blow to the morale of the defeated party. While the Muslim and Academic Scholars have issued very critical statements regarding the scholarship of this dynamic duo, I have found it fascinating to study the development of Orientalist thought from such minds as Matin Luther (yes, the founder of the protestant movement) to revisionist scholars like John Wansborough (Patricia Crones mentor in "deconstruction Islam"). Anyway, you must wonder why I have given this title five stars. the answer is that this is a wonderful study. Aside from Michael Cooks dabbling in deconstructionist theories (Early Muslim Dogma), I have found this book to be exhaustive and fair in its treatment of the subject. I don't know if Michael Cook still entertains the theories of his past (it might be too costly to his dignity as an academic to admit the immaturity of the theories he signed his names to), but I really don't care. There is little room for Cook to advance radical theories in this title because it is , for the most part, a historical study into the development of the legal discourse pertaining to the Qur'anic tenet, "command what is right, and forbid what is wrong". A very informative and entertaining study. I received a lot of clarity on this issue just by reviewing the positions held by the jurists of the legal culture. A good book to have and a nice departure (for Cook) from lame-brained attempts to rewrite history.

Cook has achieved something special in this work. He demonstrates that he is a rare and gifted scholar with an awesome ability to intregrate vast seas of thought into one coherent whole. This work covers "Commanding Right and Forbidding Wrong" from its origins in the Koran up until modern times, though he focuses upon the classical period throughout the vast majority of his book. All sects with a significant body of material are represented. Why this topic?-- Basically, this doctrine has historically proved to be the major foundation of any Islamic social ethic; therefore, how it is concieved usually predetermines how one thinks justice ought to be established in this word or by whom it should be established. Cook possesses a talent for giving seemingly distant and irrelevant doctrines a timely relation to today insofar as his studies illuminates how two different cultures approach moral actions in their respective societies. Parts of this book are vast and copiously detailed; however, it was exhaustively documented and extremely efficiently organized throughout. Thus, it is enormously accessible and immensely useful for reference as well. The high price is unfortunate, but it is without a doubt worth the money for anyone interested in Islamics.

As a regular visitor to the Napa Valley for the past 10 years, it's easy to think that one has 'seen it all.'

This book really reminded me what a special place the Napa Valley is, and how much there is to discover. Visitors and locals alike will find something new and interesting that they simply must try.

Take this book with you to the Valley, or read it before you go and find your new 'must try' discovery.

This is a must have for anyone visiting or living in the Napa Valley. Well organized and cleverly composed. I found it most useful for locating the rare-to-find places and foods that make the Napa Valley so unique. It makes a great gift for all the food lovers in your life.

Many of my family's favorite foods are "ethnic" so we thought we'd dive right in and discover what else the world is eating that we haven't tried yet. Just looking through the pages makes you want to start cooking! We'll be better prepared now, to dodge the familiar "What's for dinner?" with an enthusiastic response and a taste adventure. Children of all ages can prepare most of the dishes, and there are activities and trivia from several countries represented in the book. We decided to buy it after briefly looking through a library copy.

Ms. Cook obviously put a lot of effort into this compilation of recipes and facts. She interviewed children around the world to find out about the things they eat, and pictures of some of these children are shown throughout the book. The book is divided into regions of the world by continent, and the recipes are rated for difficulty with spoons- one spoon is the easiest, and three spoons requires at least moderate adult help and supervision. Many of the foods turn out to be familiar dishes with different names (like Sherpa Popcorn and Ox-Eye Eggs), and there are ideas for theme parties (after-ski breakfast, ice cream buffet, etc.) throughout the book. I originally bought this book for my then-10-year-old sister, who was just beginning to show an interest in cooking, and now that she is 13 she still uses this book. A lot of these recipes are easy and quick enough to be used in a classroom or school cooking club. I bought a copy of this book for myself and think it is truly neat!

I came across Road To Debt Freedom at one of my friends home. After glancing through it for a while I decided to purchase the book a few days later. Being embarrassed about my credit card bills and overall financial picture I decided to take matters into my own hands. This book provided me with many chapters of useful information while being easy to read and understand. It's very rare for people these days take the time to say good job for something well done. Good Job!

Being in the debt management and credit counseling industry, we read a tremendous number of related books and articles. Every once in a while we come across an outstanding work of art that merits special attention. Road To Debt Freedom ranks at the upper echelon in this category!

The 144 page paperback covers virtually every aspect of managing, understanding and eliminating debt. Reading the book cover to cover, I was personally captivated with the style of writing and the handling of each subject matter. Also impressive was the authors' use of analogies which distinctively paints a vivid picture, especially in areas of finance which consumers often find confusing.

While this book is a MUST read for anyone burdened with debt, if so empowered, I would make it mandatory reading before anyone was granted credit. - Daniel Gelinas, The Center For Debt Management™

It's not usual to devour a cookbook from cover to cover in one sitting, but so thoroughly engaging - and lovely to look at -- is Terry Tan's 'Asian Cook' that I read all 144 pages at once before dashing into my kitchen to check what I needed to make nonya-style pork curry. Nonya cooking, so Tan has taught me, is distinctly Southeast Asian, an exotic blend of ethnic Chinese and Singaporean, Indonesia and Malaysian practices and ingredients. Now I know too that there are seven principal types of cooking styles in Japan (from 'yakimono' which means grilled to 'itememono' meaning sautéed or pan-fried). And that religion has impacted more on the various cuisines of the Indian Sub-Continent than geography.

Indeed, to refer to 'Asian Cook' as a cookbook is to do Tan a grave injustice. This is a lavish but functional compendium of the 'tools and techniques' beloved of cooks of Asian cuisine, be they food writers for the San Francisco Chronicle or top Indian chefs in London. I suspect that if Tan had his way, the kitchenware department would be situated right next to jewellery.

Tan's authority stems from his experience and expertise as a cookery teacher and food historian. He gives us wonderful descriptions of what makes an Asian cook - the historical background and geographical origins that in turn determine the utensils, implements, ingredients (whether fish, fowl or offal) and spices used. Artfully photographed pots, woks, tandoors, cooking tools, accessories and tableware are accompanied by simple but illuminating points and pointers. For example, did you know that for some Asians, knives are considered 'too barbaric to be used at the table' and that they are in any case superfluous, given that 'all ingredients are cut into bite-size pieces during preparation'?

Asian Cook offers a wide-range of easy to follow, relatively inexpensive recipes for the discerning palate, with dishes from yang zhou fried rice to roast chicken madurai masala to bamboo leaf dumplings. But they are here to provide a colourful backdrop - and final flourish -- to the tools and techniques that made them. Tan tells us that Asian chefs have 'always been at the cutting edge when it comes to presentation skills'. I was particularly intrigued by how one produces an 'edible basket' with the right molds (which, surprisingly, are two perforated ladles shaped to fit one inside the other). A prawns in yam basket should go down very nicely at my next supper party. This book is a treasure, if not a secret weapon.

Michael Symons has written a book that is both fascinating and seminal. Serious amateur cooks, professional cooks and cooking educators will find plenty of reinforcement for their roles in the craft that "distinguishes man from other animals." Symons addresses a wide variety of issues--the place of food in society and culture, the practical functions of cooking ("predigestion, detoxification; preservation), the thread through history of anti-consumption/anti-gastronomy philosphies; a conceptual framework for cooking technologies...if you have an interest, Symons probably addresses it). Carefully chosen excerpts from major food historians, chefs and writers add to the fascination of this very accessible work. At the end, I had a better understanding of why the "hearth" has been considered to be the "center" of the home and a more structured sense of why I love to cook for my family.

Just returned from a week in Egypt. This guide book gave our family all the necessary info and trivia to enjoy Ancient and Modern Egypt. From Luxor and the Valley of the Kings to Aswan Dam, we learned more from Passport's than our tourguides. In Cairo, the maps helped with our navigation. Small and compact yet informative. Truely the only book that was in our hands the entire week. THANKS!

NEW YOUR TIMES SUNDAY BOOK REVIEW JUNE 6, 1999

The new rush-to-the-stoves book is Parisian Home Cooking: Conversations, Recipes and Tips From the Cooks and Food Merchants of Paris......a collection of recipes lovingly and cannily collected from Parisians young and old-- a concierge, a hip friend and his mother, a fellow American in Paris, the butcher at the street market and many other garrulous vendors. Roberts, a longtime Los Angeles restaurant chef and (with Barbara Kafka) one of the country's few truly original thinkers about cooking, returned to Paris 20 years after receiving his culinary schooling there, armed with a student's enthusiasm, an anthropologist's curiosity, a born schmoozer's way of eliciting cooking secrets and a sensational sense of taste. He rediscovers techniques born of Parisian practicality in the face of minimal burners and unreliable ovens: duck cooked and defatted in a pressure cooker before being finished in the oven, chicken roasted in a closely covered casserole, steak seared in a cast-iron skillet over high heat. Techniques and recipes like this will make cooks who cut their teeth on Julia Child and then moved on to Italy fall in love with French cooking all over again.

Book and Author: "Parisian Home Cooking: Conversations, Recipes, and Tips from the Cooks and Food Merchants of Paris," by Michael Roberts. Roberts pioneered California cuisine at his Los Angeles restaurant, Trumps, and is the author of "Secret Ingredients," "Make-Ahead Gourmet" and "What's for Dinner." Details: William Morrow, $25; 352 pages, 175 recipes, black-and-white photographs of Parisian markets and habitues throughout.

Description: Roberts starts off with advice on how to shop Parisian style in your hometown (frequent small markets; develop relationships with purveyors), then launches into recipes for every course, which are appended with kitchen tips and trenchant tales of marketing and cooking in Paris. Assessment: During this vogue for all things Italian, Roberts clearly wants to rescue French food from its current reputation as fussy and outdated. He absolutely succeeds with this well-written collection of vigorous, straightforward recipes. The book also paints a vivid picture of Roberts' Parisian crowd, urbane professionals who happen to whip up fabulous meals in their tiny kitchens. -Erica Marcus .

...everything I make from this book is truly delicious and , may I add, nutritious. Parisian Home Cooking teaches us that the value of fresh and diverse ingredients, simply prepared is the core of true health; dishes that yearn to be enjoyed amoung friends and actually leave you energy to enjoy their company! I just love the woman who refuses to spend more than fifteen minutes at her stove yet serves up divine dinners; the butcher's timeless admonition that for the body to work it must have some fat - how avant; the tips that coax real flavor from simple foods - to "sweeten" the vinegar for the perfect vinaigrette by adding a splash of wine (just one tip of many). As the diet gurus duke it out for your dollars, look at the slim, healthy Parisians in the photographs, read what they eat at home, and you will toss out the crazed American diet fads with relief. This book will feed you. It's also a good read. Move over Dr. Ornish and Monsieur Pepin - the secret is out!

I'm a female who has no interest in sports, so you wouldn't think this book would appeal to me. However, I love a good yarn about a group of memorable, loveable people pulling together to save their team and their town, and searching for love in its many forms along the way, and this book was that. But baseball fans would love it, too. I hear the author has written a sequel. I will be among the first in line to read about the ongoing lives of Tommy Lee, Dutch, the Chief, Billie Jo, and my personal favorite, Bruce Kelly, the wise and caring newspaperman.

In this delightful tale Cook takes us deep into the heart and soul of small-town U.S.A., its residents and its minor league baseball team, the Buffalo. "The Year of the Buffalo" is a wonderful read--and not just for baseball fans. Cooks tremendous insight into people, love of baseball and mastery of the written word will grab your attention and keep you turning the pages! You will find yourself walking the streets of Beymer, having breakfast at the diner and rooting in the stands.

This small volume grabs you from the opening (a minor leaguer's unexpected entry into Beymer) and holds you till the exciting conclusion (I'll never tell!). It is a very warm and human tale set against the backdrop of America's Game in a small town that could be anywhere. I would truthfully recommend this read (and do) even if Marshall were not my younger brother