Consumer Power is one of those "I can't believe we never thought of this before!" type books. It's an eye-opener for people like me that realized how much power we really have as consumers--and what could happen if we got together, but had no idea how to do so. Partnering is definitely the wave of the future. Even large companies are moving to this new business model. I've also read her second book, The Fifth Element: Taking Business into the Next Dimension. I am using these two books as a personal road map to financial freedom for myself. I HIGHLY recommend it to those who want to diversify, but don't have the time or capital to take traditional routes.

Susan Frederick says it so well. Easy read, great stuff, don't miss this one and watch for more. She truly knows how to get her message across, with simple wording and strong reasoning. Great book.

This is a great book highlighting the power that we all inherently have in the marketplace.

This is the greatest, most beautiful book, calendar! I am going to be giving one of these to everyone for gifts! This book can brighten your day every time you open it, with the beautiful drawings and sayings. You will not be disapointed.

I just discovered Susan Branch's stickers/books/stencils/stamps/etc. I ordered this book for next year, and want to get one for my sister. It's so cute, and there are lots of Susan's drawings and watercolored leaves, flowers, and hearts...I can't wait to start using it. Couldn't find this in the bookstores anymore, so I ordered it from Amazon and got it within 3 days.

what a treat and a beautiful book to pick up and just look through. I just received this by post 2 days ago and have already started recording events in it each night before I go to sleep.....and then I read through the whole book again...many late nights in store. What a shame Susan Branch is not readily available in New Zealand, but what a delicious find! Keep them coming Susan.

This is an excellent book. It is a must in every kitchen. I cook from it everyday and enjoy it very much. This is for all types of cooks. The most important feature EASY TO USE and great recipies. Thanks to all who put it together.

I own dozens of cookbooks, but this particular cookbook is a favourite. It would be a great gift for either a new cook (great shower/wedding gift) or even for an experienced cook. The recipes range from very basic to quite gourmet, and there is something for cooks of every skill level. The layout is clear and easy to read, and best of all, it gives calorie, fat, sodium, etc. content at the end of each recipe, which I really like. The layout is eye-catching and easy to read. I have had good luck with several recipes, including Mahogany Roast Chicken (very good and easy) and Golden Onion Foccaccia.

I am often dissappointed with cookbook purchases, but this one was a great buy and I would highly recommend it.

I checked this book out of the library and found myself taking it out for an extra 2 weeks until the one that I ordered came in! I would recommend everybody to go out and buy this book! It has made my life in cooking so much easier. I must own about 25 different ones either for different recipies in each, or just for the basics that are spread out amongst them all. With this ONE book, I can get rid of my others. It is the only one that you need for all your information wrapped up into one. The pictures really help me get a quick sense of the recipe, its steps, ingredients, and the time involved. Thank you so much Good Housekeeping!!!

I think this book has cool pictures. They have cool knights. It has different kinds of dragons. I like the stories.

My boys love this book, which we got for them for Christmas. Some stories are too hard for them (they're six and four), but even the younger one loves looking at the pictures. "Why's this dragon happy? Because he like to eat some people?" "Look at this funny dancing dragon!" "Daddy, this dwagon's cwying. Why?" My older son can read some of the stories, a bit. . . But it might take a few more years to grow into all of them. I enjoy them maybe just as much. The authors are all first rate, and each story seems better than the last, and than the one after it, if that makes sense. All in all, this book is a great idea, well-executed. I should add that I myself am a dragon, and find that the book's square, flat shape makes it a good fire-stop.

This book is perfect for any young person, or person young at heart, who loves dragons. It features many of the marvelous illustrations by that master of fantasy, Michael Hague, accompanying 17 classic tales of dragons and their prey.

The tales range in place setting from China to England, Scandinavia to Narnia. The dragons themselves range from fearsome to foolish, rage-filled to reluctant, and everything in-between. If you or your child love dragons and their stories, don't hesitate to buy this book!

A DEADLY DOZEN (TALES OF MURDER FROM LOS ANGELES ) is the third anthology following the 1997 DESSERTICIDE (DESSERTS TO DIE FOR ) and 1998 MURDER BY THIRTEEN.

The Los Angles chapter of Sisters in Crime has released a book of twelve short stories, based on murder and mayhem. I usually do not like to read short stories, but these stories were fully contained with well-crafted plots and well defined characters. My favorites were Wifely Duties, because every woman can identify with Lucy and her discontent with her marriage, but I would like to think that we would not go to the lengths that she did, and with such a startling conclusion. Cats and Jammer was another favorite, it's about a teen-age detective that finds a body and the suspects are many.

Stories included are: Sentience Imposed by Kris Neri Wifely Duties by Cory Newman Push Comes To Shove by Nathan Walpow Fatal Tears by Ekaterine Nikas Miss Parker and the Cutter Sanborn Tablets by Gay Tolti Kinman Driven To Kill by Jamie Wallace Touch Of A Vanish'd Hand by Phil Mann Ai Witness by Kate Tornton Over My Shoulder by Lisa Seidman The Cats And Jammer, by Gayle McGary Copy Cat by Joan Myers Midnight by Dorothy Rellas

This book is well worth the read.

A Deadly Dozen is a compilation of short stories, naturally involving murders, written by the Sisters in Crime in Los Angeles, California. Featuring a deadly dozen stories from such authors as: Kris Neri, Cynthia Lawrence, Cory Newman, Lisa Seidman, and others, these stories provide a platform for these writers to dip their pens into stories with a twist. This group, which formed in 1986, led by Sara Paretsky, Sisters in Crime is now a respected national organization. The Los Angeles Chapter was formed by Phyllis Miller in 1989. In recent years, male writers have been welcomed into the organization. A Deadly Dozen is the second anthology published by this group.

The problem...and the thrill...of short stories is that the characters have to introduce themselves to the reader early and completely. The reader has to immediately descend into the world that the author has created, and be ready for a real jolt at the end. Kris Neri's chilling "Sentence Imposed" does just that:

"Call it fate, call it chance--either way, it'll change your life. Sometimes you just find yourself staring into a crowd, your gaze floating aimlessly over a sea of faces you won't remember the instant you look away--until one person's eyes seem to grab hold of yours and you make a connection. You can't explain it, but somehow your life and that stranger's become bound together. When I made that link, it was with a little girl."

Whatever the subject, these writers know how to pull no punches. "Wifely Duties" is a Hitchcockian tale of a wife who plots to kill her husband, and ends up as a victim herself. "Push Comes to Shove" is a wrestler's nightmare. "Fatal Tears" is a classic sibling rivalry piece. A Deadly Dozen exposure is like taking in several episodes of "Night Gallery," with cataloging students catching a murderer in "Miss Parker and the Cutter-Sanborn Tables."

Shelley Glodowski, Reviewer

I found this collection of short stories to be amazingly gripping and enjoyable. Each of the stories were well written and kept my attention from start to finish. I've not been a fan of locked room mysteries, however, I must admit that Phil Mann's "Touch Of A Vanish'd Hand" not only kept my attention but spurred me to purchase more books in this specific genre. Joan Myers' "Copycat" was another personal favorite. I tip my hat to each of these authors as well as the three editors. Thank you for such a wonderful piece of modern literature.

This work by Carolyn Bardos provides a beautiful presentation (writing, illustrations and layout)describing Hungarian ceramics. I found the interviews with contemporary ceramic artists extremely interesting and helpful in gaining appreciation of the subject.

Refreshing to find an author who is comfortable in being different;she lets the artists speak about their passion. No formula here, just an ecclectic collection of beautiful ceramics.

Both the introduction and the poetry selections of this inspired book are the perfect platform from which the selected artworks will leap straight into your heart. A wonderful book.

Susan Sully's book revived many delightful memories of my recent visit to Charleston. Her evocative prose paired with the beautiful photographs made as much of an impression on me as seeing Charleston's gracious architecture in person. It's not often that such a pretty book is also so well written, but Sully' elegant, beautifully crafted sentences do justice to the photos and the grand old homes themselves. After reading her book I wanted to book a flight back for another visit!

Susan Sully's Charleston Style splendidly captures the unique beauty of my city. Sully's writing is gorgeous, lush and evocative as many of the homes she shows us. Her thorough research is obvious; then she takes the facts and, with words, weaves a beautifiul gossamer fabric representing one ofAmerica's most beloved cities. As a Charlestonian, I was introduced to places I never knew existed. The detailed photographs, artistic and architectural, complement the text. I bought numerous copies to give to friends who have visited Charleston in reality or in their dreams.

Just named one of the ten best books of 1999 about South Carolina by "The Nation," this winner rises above the usual book of stunning photography in the quality of Sully's writing. Her thoughtful and incisive reflections upon a complex city are rendered in delightful, sensual, intelligent prose. All this is compellingly presented in a classic coffee-table stand-out!

My husband and I have both recently been diagnosed with high cholesterol and could both lose some weight. I purchased this cookbook from Amazon.com and have been trying each of the recipes. I have been very highly surprised, thinking that if it was low-fat or low-cholesterol, I would have to saccrifice taste in my cooking. Not so. This cookbook offers wonderfully, easy recipes which are so delicious. It offers nutrition info on each recipe, as well as the time it will take to cook the meal (most under 30 minutes). Every recipe we've tried (and we're going to try them all) has been great. My husband doesn't even notice that it's healthy! The recipes are also very simple to make. I go through the book and make my shopping list from the ingredients of the recipes I want to put on my menu for the week. Some of our favorites have been: The Cajun Mustard Pork Chops, Hearty Beef and Veggies, and Lemon Dill Shrimp. You'll be happy if you get this recipe book.

This book is packed not only with yummy recipes but also with great information regarding Cholesterol, Fat, and Calories.

Just tried the chocolate brownies and they are wonderful!!! They definitely don't taste low calorie and low cholesterol!

Each recipe is listed as being either Low Fat, Low Cholesterol, and/or Low Calorie so no matter what your diet needs you'll find recipes you love. Most of the recipes are low in all 3 areas, even the desserts!!!

This book is worth it for the nutritional information alone but please make sure and try the chocolate brownies!!!

"Low fat" and "low cholesterol" don't have to mean low flavor! These recipes have a great variety. Most of the recipes are very easy to follow, use basic ingredients and don't require hours of preparation. Granted there are a few recipes, as in any cookbook, that are a bit extravagant, but those are great for entertianing company and still sticking to your diet.
As an example of the simplicity: Mushroom & Mozzerella Risotto (Prep=10 min, Cook=35 min), Country Turkey Stroganoff (Prep=10 min, Cook=15 min), and Chicken & Cornbread Stuffing Casserole (Prep=15, Cook=15).
Great tasting recipes, great variety, easy to make!

This goes for all "game programming" books:
If you don't know how to program, don't start here.

None of the code in this book is particularly difficult or obscure, but you will not find a C++ review in its pages. What you do find is a pretty clear and useful step-by-step guide to creating a simple game. Dr. Parberry uses object-oriented programming to make his game easier to follow (again, you need to know about programming *first*), and I found his example to be a great starting point for my projects.

Another thing about DirectX: it's big, and reasonably well documented. Granted, DirectDraw isn't supported by Microsoft anymore, but you can still download the 7.0a SDK. No book is going to hold your hand for the whole thing. This book gives you enough of a start to get you going, but you'll need to have the documentation handy while you're working.

Bottom line: if you know how to code in C++ using OOP techniques, and you know a little about bitmapped images and cartesian coordinates, this book will guide you to structured game programming. If not, get up to speed before trying to write games.

The only complaint that I have is that I found a couple of logic errors in the code. I haven't checked online to see if they are covered in an errata because I was able to figure them out.

This is an excellent book, but only for certain people. You have to already have a good grasp of C++, including inheritance and so on, and if you have even a relatively little experience with DirectX or Game programming, you will probably find it a little simplistic. If you expect to create Diablo II or AOEII or some game on that level by reading this book, you need a thorough reality check before you buy ANY book. If you understand c++ and want a good way to start game programming, this book is excellent. Each chapter builds very clearly on the previous one, telling the steps in creating a simple side scrolling game. Some people complain that the game sucks. It does. But that is not the point. It's not supposed to be good, it supposed to teach you the basics: DirectDraw and DirectSound, and about game programming concepts such as AI. It assumes no knowledge of game programming or DirectX whatsoever, and guides you easily into these subjects.

An excellent buy for anyone with a solid understanding of C++ and who wishes to program games, but doesn't know where to begin.

Dr. Parberry is a down-to-earth guy. This is why his book and teaching is very good. I can see, by the content of SOME OF the negative reviews, why people had so much trouble with this book.

I had the opportunity to take his Game Programming class (both the 2D and 3D classes), and you won't find a better, or simpler explanation of the topics (in class or in his book(s)). You DO have to know C++ to use this book. HELLO!?, game programming is done in C++ people. If you don't know it, learn it first. Dr. Parberry's code is tight, and his explanations are great. Sure, he may not go into great depth in explaining DirectX details, this is why you should buy a DirectX book for this (or download the documentation). He explains the basic, fundamental concepts that are required to make a 2D game, but it's up to you to use those concepts and/or his code to make whatever you want.