David I. Kertzer has written a wonderful account of a pivotal event in Italian, Jewish and Catholic history. The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara tells the story of the 1858 kidnapping of a six year old Jewish boy secretly baptized while a baby by a Catholic servant in the home. From this horrifying personal incident for this Jewish family the panorama of the story grows very large indeed, taking into account the Pope, the governments of Europe, and the forces for the unification of Italy. The author does a superb job of making all of this understandable to the reader. He also never allows the epic scope of the book to overwhelm the family as the centre of all of this controversy. The Mortaras hold a special place in this tragedy as they deserve and the lives lived by Jewish families, such as theirs, in Italy is vividly presented. It is a shocking book, yet very illuminating and well written. Highly recommended.

David Keretz is an American historian of Italy, who also happens to be Jewish and the son of an American army chaplain who helped liberate Italy during World War II. He presents one of the most sensationalistically portrayed events of the mid-19th century in Italy--the kidnapping of a 6-year-old Jewish boy from his parents by agents of the then temporal as well as spiritual leader of much of Italy, Pope Pius IX--an event which divided Catholics, Protestants, and Jews around the world as well traditionalists and nationalist-liberals in Italy. He recounts and analyzes the story in a remarkably balanced fashion, helping the reader appreciate each side of the controversy. Yet he also presents the Mortara family, whose suffering was not limited to the kidnapping and the failure to ever retrieve their son and sibling Edgardo from the Catholic Church, in a way that is evocative of the book of Job. The book uses the Mortara incident as a prism through which to view the Italian Risorgiomento, the ultra-conservative philosophy of Pius IX, and the emerging forces of liberalism in Western Europe. One of the author's central theses is that the Mortara kidnapping was a major factor in the demise of the Pope's political power and the unification of Italy. One of the many fascinating aspects of the book is how Italian anti-Semitism contrasted with that in France and Germany; the Italians seem to have preferred that the Jews convert and be assimilated, and had no belief in the racist and Volkisch ideologies that best the French and the Germans.

In March 1940, a month before Nazi troops entered Belgium, an 88-year-old monk died at the abbey in Bouhay. Born in Bologna as Edgardo Mortara, this monk, as a six-year-old Jewish child, had been kidnapped from his family after unsubstantiated reports of his baptism by a Christian servant surfaced. He was sent to Rome and raised and educated there under the special eye of Pope Pius IX. Although such kidnappings were not extraordinary in European Jewish communities, this case occurred against the backdrop of a changed and changing political climate. The case attracted the attention of the Rothschilds, Sir Moses Montifiore, Napoleon III, and even some Americans, and turned international public opinion against the Vatican. It came to symbolize the revolutionary campaigns of Mazzini and Garibaldi, and the attempt to terminate the political dominance of the Catholic Church and found a modern, secular Italian state. Kertzer tells this disturbing tale with great sensitivity and skill, as he locates it within its historical context. He has illuminated a very dark recess of Jewish-Catholic relations, and in so doing, has shed additional light on the troubled history of Jewish-Christian relations.

I had assumed this book to be new-age fluff after having
seen it referenced so often in other new-age fluff books.
So I was quite surprised to find that it is really a
fascinating scientific biography, a genre I am
personally addicted to. The 'love story' wanders into the
fluff zone occasionally, and the chemistry recipe book
wanders into extreme alchemical arcana, but overall its
a comprehensive compendium that is unique as far as I know,
and a valuable record of the behind-the-scenes history
of the California new-age 80's. I am only puzzled at
Dr. Shulgin's lack of comment or experience in the traditional
spiritual practices, since even though he frequented Zen centers
while doing his assays, he seems not to be the least curious
as to the perspectives of these traditions.

I was also interested to read more about the mysterious therapist
referred to as 'Jacob' in the book 'The Secret Chief' by author
Myron Stolaroff. Check out this book after 'Pikhal' and you
will get a fresh and equally important perspective on the
practices of this seminal group of psychic healers/explorers.

somebody oughta make a movie! :)

While the story itself is rather interesting, the last section of PIHKAL ('book II') is the true star. It's not a story...it's a list of aprox. 200 psychoactive and potentially psychoactive drugs, each lovingly described as to structure, synthesis, dosage, and effects. Each item is based on the core skeleton of phenyl-ethyl amine, which Shulgin laboriously explored at virtually every point, substitutive alkyl groups, thio groups, halides, etc. (Methoxy ring substituents are especially popular in his work.) The result is an astonishing array of hallucinogens, amphetamines, and some seemingly inert materials. While he is perhaps best known for his work on MDMA, the drug that would later gain infamy as the illegal drug 'ecstasy', it will surprise most readers to discover that MDMA is only one of an entire family of psychoactive drugs, each with their own sometimes subtle, sometimes astonishing differences. A truly extraordinary, landmark work for the pharmacologist, or simply those curious about psychoactive drugs from a more technical, exploratory stance. (That said, if you wouldn't know a carbon atom from a Honda Civic, you'll still like the biographical part, which is anything but dry and technical.)

This book is divided into two halves. The first half is the story of Shulgin's life, from childhood to modern times. It is a moving and beautiful tale of one man's attempt to make sense of the world and his place in it. Intertwined in this personal experience is a budding love affair with a woman who could only be rated as amazing.

The second half consists of Shulgin's recipes and notes on the synthesis of every compound in the Phenethylamine category that he has ever made.

Overall, this book will change the way you feel about psychedelics, and the reasons that people use them. The story is at times inspiring, at times heartbreaking, and always genuine. Highly recommended as an introduction to the spirituality behind psychedelics and some of the issues involved with them.

Chuck Swindoll is an excellent author that helps me under stand the bible very easily. in an exsample of how much I enjoyed what I have learnd, i'll tell you that I have started reading the book "Moses a man of selfless dedication" and have the one on Josphe on the book self that I bought through amozon.com. Seindoll pours over all the detail to bring King David into a real sence and not a bible caricter that lived 3000 years ago, but some one that I can understand and see in life, or in someone around me, I loved what the book tought me and what makes me different then david and how to become more of "a man after Gods own heart".

Every time a pick up a book from Swindoll's "Great Lives from God's Word" series I think that nothing can be better than the last one. Starting with Joseph and then reading Moses gave me the impression that these were his best. Now I've returned back and read David and continue to find that brother Chuck has been blessed with a deep understanding about God's word, God's people and God's ways. As with the other books, Chuck doesn't leave any stone unturned in David's life and digs deep into the things that we can all relate to. I recommend this reading especially to those who are facing the giants in life whether they are physical or spiritual. King David is a great study for all of us seeking to be a "man after God's own heart."

Charles Swindoll does an excellent, if not remarkable, job of not only presenting the trials of David in modern day life, but he also vividly illustrates the psalmist's shortcomeings into lessons for today. Without a doubt, this book was written with God's guidance (no slight intended towards Mr. Swindoll), and I recommend this book to be used as a tool for the Christian of today in his/her walk with God. Upon finishing, I not only had renewed insight upon David, but also within myself, and found newborn strength to conquer my own daily struggles. God has annoited this book, of that there is no doubt, and I strongly urge Christians to delve into it.

Since the day I got this cookbook as a gift, I use it for inspiration and often everyday cooking. I live in Tel Aviv, so the mediterranean flavor suits my accessiblility to ingredients and adds new twists to the way I think about using them. Although many of the recipes are for party fare only, I always manage to find some great recipe for even a casual gathering. The book is extremely fun to read, easy to follow and makes me feel like a pro just by making a simple dip for crudites.

For those of us who tend to rely on just a few cookbooks, I recommend it highly. It can never replace my desert island favorite choice, Marcella Hazan's Essentials of Italian Cooking, but it's right up there with the Silver Palatte.

I first borrowed this book from the library to test the recipes, and ended up renewing it twice before buying my own copy. Every recipe I've tried has come out fantastic - and they haven't been very difficult, either (although some have taken me longer than I thought because of prep time- like peeling shallots and garlic).

My husband loves meat loaf, but I was never able to make it exactly right. Thanks to the Dean & Deluca recipe, I don't have to keep searching for that perfect recipe (I found it here). The roast chicken with shallots and rosemary was absolutely wonderful and the chicken cacciatorre had my 11-year old raving for days -- he ate all the leftovers, too!

Many thanks to the Dean & Deluca Cookbook for letting us in on the secret to delicious food, and providing us with easy-to-follow instructions! I am really looking forward to trying the other recipes (and there are a LOT of them!).

How much does this book have to do with "Dean & Deluca"? Very little! There are a few recipes of items offered for sale at "Dean & Deluca", and some of more exotic ingredients are likely to be found at "Dean & Deluca".

What this book should have been called is the "David Rosengarten - Taste" cookbook. Almost all the recipes come from episodes of "Taste"(the very popular cooking show hosted by David Rosengarten shown several times each day on the TV Food Network).

David is by far the most visible personality on the TV Food Network, having hosted as many as 3 different programs a day ("Taste", "In Food Today", and earlier version of "Dining Around"). He's also a well known wine/food writer for several magazines.

It's not a general cookbook (it's not going to replace you copy of Joy of Cooking), it's not a primer, and it's not a specialty book.

It's more like a "best of" Taste, leaning to the less exotic.

This book is the only resource that I used to study for my ham radio technician's license, and it was more than sufficient. I am as unscientific as they come, and yet after reading this book, I passed the Ham Radio Technician test with a score of 33 out of 35.

I did find some of the really technical material in the middle to be a bit dull, but that may be my non-scientific mind as much as anything else. Even if it is dull, I seem to have learned it adequately!

If you are not scientifically inclined but you want to get into ham radio, this is the book you need! Persevere through the tough parts - you'll be glad you did!

I first started getting into Ham Radio about a year ago. I picked up this book and started reading. You don't need to read all of the text- I skipped a few chapters and just worked on the test questions and answers. It must work- I whipped through the test packet like it was going out of style and didn't miss any questions- I can't wait to get started with Morse Code(CW) and the General Class License!!!!!!!!!

I tried Clay Laster's book and found it to be useless (see my review elsewhere).

So I picked up this ARRL book in anticipation of taking an 8 week Tech course through a local ham radio club for Element 2. I spent about an hour a night with this book, worked through all the questions and answers. In conjunction with web-based practice tests (www.wvara.org, www.eham.net or other locations -- these are free and invaluable for practice) after 2 painless weeks I found a local VEC site and took the test last Sunday. Passed with a 100% score!

I felt so confident, that I decided to try the General exam (Element 3) the same morning and passed that one too (although not with such a stellar result). I don't have to take the tech course now, and credited the fee toward club membership.

Bottom line -- ARRL knows the tests inside and out. They've been publishing license guides for years, they administer the tests, and they write the manuals so that they can be easily understood -- they don't introduce jargon or advanced concepts/information until the basics have been presented.

Although I already passed the General theory test, I am working my way through ARRL's General license guide -- to make sure I know what I'm supposed to. And studying Morse for Element 1 so I can get my General license. I've already picked up the ARRL licensing guide for Amateur Extra (Element 4) and hope to get there by the summer.

I ordered the book from Amazon.com a couple weeks ago and I am well on my way to becoming a more effective illustrator thanks to David and Gary.

I am an illustrator, Instructor and president of the Aspiring Corel Enthusiasts User Group based out of Sacramento, CA. It is books like this that inspire me to inspire others.

David and Gary have out done themselves on this one. All that is left for us as serious Corel users is to buy their book and show them some of the same support they have been providing Corel users around the world for years.

It is dedicated Corel Experts like David and Gary who give us the courage to do the designs we can do, the understanding their are still some designs others will have to do for us and provide us with the infinite wisdom to know the difference.

Thanks Guys.......

I lead a CorelDraw User Group. When our first copies of this book were placed on our booktable, it sold out before our meeting even began!

As a Corel certified instructor for Draw, I can recommend this book without hesitation. It is rare to find an author that possesses technical mastery of a program, fine artistic skills, *and* can make the technical aspects comprehensible. Finding two featured in one book is a bonus. Plus, they are funny... sometimes even intentionally.

My only complaint, is that for the price, a companion CD would have been nice.

I was looking for a book, not a manual, to show me some of the special effects everyone wants to learn, not just how to use the tools. I have learned so much from this book and have even impressed a few of my friends. The steps to create the projects are clear and easy to follow. The perfect book for any Corel user.

It seems that most of the other reviewers knew what they thought about Suzuki before they read this book, and found their self-confirmations therein. So I will confine myself to the book itself, rather than the subject.

The standard of research is as careful (and caring) as you will ever find among biographers. However, Chadwick's writing style is very light and breezy, without being flippant. Suzuki's life is portrayed in a way that skillfully demonstates both what has been RIGHT and what has been WRONG with Zen in America, althought the author never stoops to lecture the reader on these points.

David Chadwick was able to interview a lot of the original students of Suzuki, letting each of them speak in their own voice. The book is not a sweet and reverential tale of the life of prominent Zen teacher, but the honest exposition of successes and failures of the man Suzuki-roshi was. Particularly interesting to me were accounts of Suzuki's complex position on the issues of Japanese militarism during the WWII; and account of his first year in America, and how the Zen center just naturally happened. Chadwick's style is clear, concise and compact; occasional quotations from Suzuki are well positioned and illustrated by real-life examples. Well Done!!!

I just read this book this week and can't say enough great things about it. It blends the story of a person and a spiritual path so deftly that you will be draw in on sheer readability and enlightened about this wonderful teacher's sometimes hilarious life story (and many times lightheartedly profound) without even noticing.

I hated the author's former book and couldn't stand to read it after the first 20 pages, so it took an act of courage to pick this one up. But I am happy to say either he has learned a lot or he's had a great editor or both, because with this book, he seems like he was born to write it.

There is a wonderful sense of humor that comes from Suzuki-Roshi's life and attitude - that belies the seriousness of the topic and book. So few Zen books are really approachable for mere humans (which is not the way it should be). This book demystifies all that needs demystifying about Zen - and you will have a LOT of FUN reading it, too.

When catasthrophe hit the grain harvest of the Soviet Union, the Politburo must decide whether to negotiate with the West for grains, or go to war, or suffer mass uprising. No one in the Kremlin wants the last possibility to happen, so two factions emerged, with the bare majority, including the Secretary-General, advocating negotiation. Through a Kremlin informant for British agent Adam Munro, the British PM and the US President learned just how desperate the situation in the USSR was.

Meanwhile, the survivor of a shipwreck in the Mediterranean aroused the interest of a British Andrew Drake. Drake descended from a Ukrainian nationlist, whose mission in life was to strike a humiliating blow against the USSR, and the shipwreck survivor provided him with an opportunity to do just that.

Somehow, the different threads spun by the author in the book came together, climaxing with the world being held hostage to an all-out war between the Eastern Bloc and the Western Bloc, or the greatest environmental catasthrophy yet.

The author did not stint on fleshing out his characters, providing them with ample description, motivations and attributes that the reader can just imagine the kind of actors and actresses that would be cast if this was a movie.

Plot development were fast and furious sometimes, yet deliberately slow and detailed at others, paced out well like the different variations of a symphony, but never a dull moment.

In the end, it will be up to our hero Adam Munro to save the world from the various catasthrophies, and the numerous twists in the end came round a blind corner, hitting the readers where they least expect (unless of course, they've been reading way too much thrillers like me who managed to guess a couple of them).

I was so surprised at this book.. I bought it for curiosity, because it really amazes me (as a member of the post-Cold War generation) how terrified people were. It turned out to be an amazing, complex story, and even I didn't predict the ending. I've really never seen anything like Forsyth's work. (The best part is that I read this for school credit in 8th grade.. for once, a book I didn't hate.) I had to reread several times, not for confusion but for the brilliance of the dialogue. It's a shame Forsyth has given up suspense, but I wish him well.

It's the early eighties and group of radical Ukranian nationalists have a debt to settle as The Soviet Union is facing a possible famine. After a Ukranian nationalist is found barely alive floating in the black sea, the stage is set for a plot which involves numerous european countries as well as the US and Israel.

The character development in this novel is excellent. Frederick Forsyth has a way of bringing out the personalities of the main characters very well. His knowledge of geography really shows that he does his research before he writes. I like the way the book goes from one country to another carefully discribing what is going on but not always telling the reader how it's related to the plot until later. There are quite a few surprising moments which keep your attention. There are points were you may think the story is going nowhere and then there is an abrupt change of pace with no warning.

It is books like this that can turn one into an avid reader of espionage novels.

I love this book! I was ready to give up trying to use iMovie because of a small glitch that was incurring. After browsing thru the book the very first time I opened it, I came across the trouble I was having with iMovie. Mr. Pogue directed me to the correct settings and I am now having a great time editing my DV movies.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone attempting to use iMovie. There is so much more to this program than Apple addresses in the help file. Mr. Pogue's writing is concise but not out of reach for the average Mac user.

I have many books by Mr. Pogue and I would recommend any of them if you are stumped and need a well explained how-to-manuel.

If there was an Academy Award for manuals, this is the winner. Part One, of this 402 page manual, is worth the total cost of the book. David Pogue creates an excitement for Digital Video Photography, and iMovie 2 editing on a Macintosh. The manual is very well written, and is full of illustrations, hints, tips and techniques. It reads like a great novel, you do not want to put it down. Apple's iMovie 2 is a very powerful Digital Video Editing program, but lacks in documentation like Don Rickles lacks tack. If you have spent a $1,000 for a Digital Video Camera, and have a PowerMac computer with iMove 2, your next step to using them is, "iMovie, The manual that should have been in the box." I was editing video clips, and creating DVD (disc) movies after just a few hours with this book.

First I have to give props to David Pogue and his Missing Manual series. As a bookseller and computer geek I've long favored the Dummies books as the best entry-level source for third-party information on software. However, O'Reilly made a smart move when they turned their attention on that market and grabbed Dummies standby Pogue to headline the new series. The Missing Manuals (and their mutant-dogcow mascot) are a credit to O'Reilly and a must-have... assuming, that is, that they cover the program you need. The series is still too small, but I'm sure it won't stay that way.

Now, to the book itself. If you need to do something with iMovie, it's in there. That pretty much covers what I need to say in this review, but it doesn't cover everything the book has to offer. Remember back in the 80s when the Mac made desktop publishing a reality, only to unleash a torrent of wretchedly amateurish graphic design? Well, Pogue spends much of the first couple of chapters attempting to prevent that from happening. This book starts off with a very basic primer on video production and how to use your equipment -- assumed to be a typical consumer-grade MiniDV camcorder, but it covers other options as well, particularly video bridges and the like.

The meat of the book discusses iMovie 2's capabilities, including discussions of its weaknesses and how to work around them. Effects, titles, and transitions are discussed in detail, including some useful information on crossfades (never fade straight to black -- instead, you want a black stillframe). Conversion to other formats is also an issue, and a significant part of the book discusses postproduction using QuickTime Pro. Directions are given for converting your work for DVD or VCD as well.

The issue I have with the book is largely its focus on iMovie in MacOS Classic, and the bugs that are present in that version that might not be in the OS X version. Screenshots all come from 9.x, with the only Aqua material being the interface of iMovie itself. I don't mark down for this since the program operates more or less the same, but an inexperienced user may have trouble. (I might note as well that the book works just as well for iMovie 3, which has a superficially different interface but handles more or less identically.)

So, yeah. If you're doing video production on iMovie, this is the book to get, hands down.