I used to live in Southampton, and stopped by Kathleen's one day. I bought a bag of her chocolate chip cookies -they were wonderful and so different - thin and fantastically crispy. The next time I stopped in, I tried her amazing carrot cake - the best I have ever had, and returned the next day to buy this cookbook. I am forever giving this book as a gift...the copy I bought on Amazon.com was to give to a friend who is a chef. I have tried nearly every recipe in this book - returning to favorites again and again. I no longer live around the corner from this wonderful little bakery, but this book makes it possible for me to enjoy and share with others Kathleen's amazing carrot cake, wonderful oat bran muffins, delicious pecan pie and luscious chocolate peanut butter bars. I have been a fan of Kathleen's for 10 years, and this book makes it possible for me to share with others the wonderful treats I rave about.

My husband purchased this book a few years ago. He loved visiting Kathleen's Bake Shop enroute to Shelter Island and decided to buy the book. He met me a few years later, and, when he found out I enjoyed baking, showed me Kathleen's recipe book. It is simply the easiest recipe book to follow. I've made several of the tasty treats in the book and have never been disappointed with the results. The brownies are "to die for"; many of my friends can't believe how delicious they are yet incredibly easy to make. The oatmeal-raisin cookies always come out deliciously moist. They are a favorite of my husband, father, brother, and nephews! I'm sure my infant son will enjoy them when he gets older. And most Sundays I make a loaf of cranberry or blueberry (I use the cranberry nut recipe but just substitute blueberries) nut bread as a special breakfast treat for my husband at work. His co-workers are quite envious! If you enjoy baking as much as I do, you must add this book to your collection. You won't be disappointed!

Highly recommended! Everything I have tried in the cookbook has been fabulous. I had purchased this baking book years ago. Using it so much I had to purchase another one, this time I am laminating the pages. Living on Long Island I discovered Kathleen's Bake Shop by accident. One day I stopped by a local farm stand that was selling some of her baked goods. That's how I found out that she had a bakery out in Southampton. I went to Kathleen's Bake Shop to then discover that she also had a cookbook, I was in heaven. Since then I have given the Kathleen's Bake Shop Cookbook to others as gifts to spread the joy of my discovery. Take my word, you will not be disappointed!

It's unfathomable why the works of Richard Yates have been out of print for so many years. Every person I recommend him to ends up wanting to read all of his books, asking questions about him I simply can't answer because I know little or any of his bio.

"Is he really that good?" Yes.

Finally, in one collection, are the master's collected stories culled from "Eleven Kinds of Loneliness" and "Liars in Love." The book also features additional uncollected stories, which are real treats for any Richard Yates fan (we've been plowing through dusty periodicals in decrepit libraries for these stories for years).

Readers long familiar with 50s writers like Salinger, Cheever, Updike, and later such scions as Tobias Woolf, Richard Ford, and Raymond Carver, will find similar terrain in Yates's stories, with one important distinction: the inimitable voice of Richard Yates. His gift is not with pretty language or literary prose - though that's not to say that he's minimalist - he's much too focused for tricks. Character is his number one concern.

The characters in Yates's world are so real they're frightening. Yates explores their self deceptions, their frailties, their constant attempts to buttress a withering self-esteem by false promises or vain illusions. For instance, "A Glutton for Punishment" - a story about a loserish young man who gets fired from his first "real" job and convinces himself that he won't tell his wife about it until he finds another. The character realizes, though, that it's the very drama of losing that's always been the motivating force of his life.

What sets Yates apart from most writers of his age - or any age - is his heart. It's large, gracious, compassionate without ever being sentimental.

I would go on--but the stories truly speak for themselves.

The publication of this volume is a literary event, akin to Malcolm Cowley's "rediscovery" of William Faulkner. It's time to take Yates off the "writer's writer" list, and make him finally accessible to the general population.

This collection will prove Yates to be one of the greatest American writers of the latter 20th Century. You will not be disappointed, but only scratch your head and say, "Why haven't I heard of this guy?"

*Don't stop here--read "Revolutionary Road," "The Easter Parade," "Cold Spring Harbor" and "A Good School."

Richard Yates succeeds at fulfilling every accolade heaped on his output of writing. This collection of short stories is like owning a full library of novels by one author. Each story, whether familiar to us who have admired this master or newly discovered because of being previously unpublished, place Yates in the rarified air of brilliant American authors. Without the need for flashy technique or creating a Look & Style or preaching to elipitcal minds, Yates spins touching tales simply, clearly, and with a polish that few others can mimic. Yes, his stories are about those parts of our lives that we all usually try to keep private: few of us (or his characters) like to relate our insecurities, disappointments, frustrated dreams. But Yates opens windows for us to view the common man at his most vulnerable, and never once does he offer excuses for the individual's humanity. "We took risks. We knew that we took them. Things have turned out against us" may be the words of a polar explorer, but they so aptly speak to the stoic way Yates' people accept their plights. Praise can be made for every story, no matter how short or how long. Reading this collection of gems is entertaining, but it is also a chance to look at the ordinary world in a more appreciative way. Drop the prejudices. Forget your own bias as to what happiness is. Just get to know these people and you'll get to know yourself in the process. Magnificent addition to every reader's library.

All the accolades describing Yates as a master of the short story form are correct. His work surely deserves a place alongside other greats of the form, including Delmore Schwartz, J. F. Powers, and Alice Munroe, to name a few. He writes about loneliness, ambition and failure better than almost anyone, and is, in the best sense of the word, a writer's writer. But not only can you learn a great deal about writing from him: you also learn a lot about the human heart. The publication of these stories together is a literary event of the first order.

Bach describes flight like no one else. This book is the closest one can describe the feelings of adventure in the air with words.

"A Gift of Wings" and Bach's "Stranger to the Ground," led to my earning a Private Pilot's License, the second most influential event in my life. After reading Bach, I had little choice: I had to fly solo, above the clouds and earth, and experience the trancendental moments he described, or my life would be incomplete, perhaps even wasted.

This is my flying "Bible." Whenever I need inspiration, whether related to life or flying, a few chapters will renew my spirits and leave me yearning to fly, my cynicism, anger or depression evaporated by his lovely words. Some of his deeply heartfelt sentiments are so beautiful, it brings tears to my eyes, even after the 20th reading.

Bach will convince you that the invention of the airplane was mankind's singular greatest accomplishment, not for it's technical achievement, but for it's affect on the human spirit.

I own a hardbound copy which I hope to have Bach autograph. I bought 20 paperback copies: one for my car, several at my airport office, one at my bedside, and the some given away to private and airline pilots, who having lived some of Bach's magic moments in the air, can appreciate his insights. The rest are reserved for unsuspecting, non-flying "groundpounders" I will meet, who are about to have a life changing experience, when I bestow upon them - "A Gift of Wings."

For pilots and lovers of flight, this is a 'must have' book. It's a collection of 48 magazine articles Richard Bach wrote from the the late 1960's/early 1070's (with a couple of even earlier ones). They originally appeared in Flying, Air Progress, Private Pilot, Argosy, Sport Flying, and Air Facts. The topics range from classic Bach railing against the FAA by cheering for the Outlaws, to barnstorming, to Egyptians flying, to applying at United Airlines. There is an awesome article describing his favourite books, his relationship with pilots that write, complete with a reading list. There is even a little one-page article from 1959, 'There's something the matter with seagulls.' He was thinking about seagull acrobatics for a while . . .

It's all flying and thoughts about flying. Unlocking the magic box of flight with wonderful words.

Anyone going into law enforcement or with a love one in law enforcement should read this book. It carries the readers through the day to day life of an officer. Never in my wildest dreams did I realize the stress level and physical demands placed on someone in this field. I think Richard did a great job and hopes he continues with other books.

Richard brings the layman into the world of the police officers' daily life. From the very first word you feel like you are with the the walls of the jail, in the squad car on foot in a chase of a suspect. You feel his pain along with him. For the law enforcement officers who read the book it brings back their own experiences. It is a must read Only one warning you can not put the book down once you start reading it.. Thank you Richard for sharing your experiences good and bad with us.

We live in a world where most Americans seem to take for granted their rights as citizens. We expect and demand protection and seldem do we understand or thank those who have taken the oath to protect us. In this book, the author has taken the reader by the hand and led him into the world a law enforcement officer lives in twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. The average citizen never experiences the fear, harrassment and personal loss that a police officer takes on when he puts on that badge. The author has done an excellant job of describing the day to day life of an officer without using the professional jargon that most people would not understand. He allows the reader to feel his fustration, lonliness and anger at the ills of our society and its bureaucracy. This is a must read for anyone wanting to enter that world and for those of us who take for granted the men and women in uniform who have sworn to protect us. You will leave with a better understanding and appreciation for law enforcement officers and their families.

This is a great medical dictionary that has every possible medical term. It is 2,000 pages of great illustrations, easy to understand definitions and very complete. You have other medical dictionaries but Stedman's beat them all hands down. You get this medical dictionary, you very likely may not need another. Stedman's will cover all your medical terminology needs.

I teach Parasitology and I have found that my students learn the terms more easily if they know what they mean. So I needed a medical dictionary to help me with the etimology. Being a sort of a bibliophile, I had older editions of the 2 major medical dictionaries in the English language: the Dorland's and the Stedman's. I checked the old texts thoroughly and read carefully the descriptions of the new ones. I can't remember why I chose the Stedman's but I do remember that it was a very tight decision. So I have had the Stedman's for a few weeks and I can't think of anything else that I may need in a dictionary: it has excellent typography, clear definitions, beautiful color text and illustrations, comprehensive etimology (the Greek roots are NOT written in Greek, which is a blessing for me). I might only wish the inclusion of some specific veterinary terms (which are also missing in the competition) and sturdier covers (the corners of the hardback edition covers arrived bent; it was a 5,000 miles trip though)

This dictionary has many helpful features such as a well-illustrated color anatomy section, a large word-finder index, appendices of DRGs,blood groups, lab values, temperature scales, elements, symbols, and more. The inside cover details the many features contained in the definitions. The layout is easy to read. This also contains many illustrations and diagrams. This is an excellent medical reference book.

Over the last 15 years I have been involved with organizations undergoing major change. For all of those years I have tried to discover why change, that appears so essential to these companies, fails most of the time. I have searched for years for a logical answer.

I happend to notice the title of this book at a donated book sale at our local library.... I picked it and others up and proceeded to add it to the pile of books I would some day scan. On a long business flight I started to read this book.

I could not stop. As the authors laid out their ideas I covered the pages with notes.

Finaly a logical explanation of why change, even obviously necessary change, fails. Even more the begining of a method on how to make it work.

Knowing the difference between first-order change, and second-order change can change your life! See if you can figure this out: "It obviously makes as difference whether we consider ourselves as pawns in a game whose rules we call reality or as players of the game who know that rules are 'real' only to the extent that we have created or accepted them, and that we can change them." This is pretty much what this book is about. And this, "When a person enters therapy, he is fully entrenched in a dilemma: what he wishes to attain has become all the more important and urgent ... and because of this urgency it is all the more important that no risk of falure be involved in the eventual action." Complex stuff. I read it once, and now I'm back to read it again. It's hard to absorb it all the first time even though you know you're reading some pretty radical stuff that you probably ought to be acting upon!

This is a great book on the mind. It shows us that we don't really need to know the mechanisms of things to make it work. Just like we don't have to know how a car works in order to drive it. The mind is the same way. Never mind the mechanisms it involves but if you do this and this, a person will do this and this. And surprisingly, although most of the suggestions are counterintuitive, most of the things discussed in the book actually work when we try it out on others. Try it and you will see! If you want to know why these things work, I'd suggest you read "Rhythm, Relationships, and Transcendence" by Toru Sato. It is a very insightful book about relationships and consciousness. If you get the message, you will know why the things suggested in Watzlawick's books actually work. Happy reading!

Richard Moe has written a good book. Drawing heavily on diary entries, he follows the course of the 1st Minnesota Volunteers during the Civil War. The unit had a rather typical experience of front line Union combat regiments. Until Gettysburg. Resting on Cemetary Ridge on July Second, they (all 262) were fortuitously (for the rest of the Union Army) available to throw against onrushing Confederates who had a chance to take the center of the Union line. Gen. Hancock ordered them forward, telling their Colonel to take the oncoming flag of the much more numerous rebels. In a shocking movement, the Minnesotans did their duty, knowing that they were being sacrificed so that the Union side could live to fight another day. They were successful, blunting the southerners. The cost: the 1st Minnesota had more causualties than any other Union regiment at Gettysburg.

Moe lets his fellow Minnesotans do much of the speaking which lends great authenticity to the tale. This is a heroic story of grand sacrifice during the unit's unique moment in history. It also offers an informative telling of life on the road with the Army of the Potmac during the first three years of the war.

(Moe describes being enthralled by a painting of the 1st Minnesota's heroic charge that hangs in that state's state house as a youth. It helped create a mental image that led to his writing the book. It also gave me the idea to tell a similar story of bravery via a painting in Delaware's state house. Next January, the State of Delaware will hang an oil by Bradley Schmehl in Legislative Hall in Dover, DE. The painting will depict the 2nd Delaware advancing through the Wheatfield during the Battle of Gettysburg, an action that helped secure the flank of Gen. Sickle's Corps during a time when it was threatened with being rolled up and opeining the Union center).

The men of the First Minnesota could swing an axe, and did so, building bridges and making roads. They could shoot -- straight and fast, and did so on some of the most famous battlefields of the Civil War. They were a "cool" Regiment, men who stood fast. And they died, as a Regiment, on the battlefield of Gettysburg.

This book should be read by every high school senior in Minnesota, and most elsewhere. Moe captures the simple competence of these frontiersmen, their ability to walk for long distances (Antietam), work with tools (Peninsula Campaign) and to stand fast and fight hard -- in each battle.

The First Minnesota was raised in the West, in the new state of Minnesota, but fought with the Army of the Potomac. This gives their story a sense of an American Odyssey -- Moe captures the changing nation as a backdrop to the war. The First Minnesota struggles to learn how to cook crabs... and how to fight the Secesh. The diaries and newspaper articles of the time illuminate the nation through the stories these men tell.

Finally, the Civil War buff will love this book. The book tells one entire arc of the Civil War through the life and death of this Regiment. And Moe's writing is so simple and clear, the story unfolds and makes the early eastern battles understandable.

Richard Moe draws heavily from the letters and diaries (many of them unpublished) of the men of the First and weaves them into a complelling story. This is one of the few books on any topic that I have read twice and I am sure I will read it again. You will never forget Lyman and Issac Taylor and many of the other soldiers of the First after you have read this book. Their very personal writings cover a three year period and give the reader an insight into a soldier's life not often found in any book. I found myself not wanting to finish the book. These men had become friends and I knew full well their fate. They also knew their duty and did not hesitate. 262 of them charged 1,200. Gen. Hancock asked them to give him 5 min. to bring up reinforcements, they gave him 15. Of the 262 only 47 walked away. Many of the voices I had come to know fell silent. History does not allow you to change the ending as much as you might wish you could. By the way, I bought this book in Freeport ME at the 20th Maine Bookstore (it was their last copy). It can be argued that these two units, a mile apart, saved the Union line on July 2nd 1863.

This is exciting stuff:

Alternative Medicine Magazine in the July 2001 issue calls Quantum-Touch, "... a significant breakthrough in hands-on healing." They go on to say that "...for professionals and lay people alike, Quantum-Touch is an essential and invaluable tool."

Dr. C. Norman Shealy, Founding President of the American Holistic Medical Association calls Quantum-Touch, "... the first technique that may truly allow us all to become healers." He also wrote the foreword to this book after he became impressed that Quantum-Touch provided dramatic and lasting pain relief to his patients with 20 to 30 years of chronic pain, who had not been helped by any traditional or alternative modality.

This is the only book I know of on hands-on healing that is praised by physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, physical therapists, nurses, Reiki masters, chi gung instructors, and a host of other health care professionals.

Dr. Darla Parr, D.C. wrote, "You actually have to see this work to know how good it is. Bones move into alignment with just a light touch, and it speeds up the healing process."

Amazingly, you can actually learn to use Quantum-Touch from just reading the book, but if you get the chance, I highly recommend attending a Quantum-Touch workshop.

"Quantum-Touch" is a powerful book. I have used energy healing techniques for over 23 years, and after applying the easy and accessible techniques in this book I have increased my capacity dramatically in just the first few weeks. The book is written in easy to understand language that demystifies healing energy work. I cannot say enough good things about this book and the author. I was fortunate enough, after reading the book, to attend a workshop presented by Richard Gordon. I found him to be sincere and dedicated to the idea that we all possess the power to heal and if given the chance we will use it. I encourage anyone interested in life and health to read this book. It not only contains wonderful and simple techniques, it also contains invaluable information for general health and well-being all presented with humor and love. Buy it, read it, use it and spread the word, we are ALL healers.

Quantum-Touch really resonated with me - I have studied many healing modalities from Reiki to Lomi-Lomi and found Quantum-Touch to be the most powerful yet easiest way to understand and practice hands on healing. Quantum-Touch is fun to read, and de-mystifies hands on healing by describing pratical ways to work with life-force energy. The Quantum-Touch video is fantastic as well. I used the techniques on my Dad who had a lung infection for the past 8 years. After a few hours of Quantum-Touch, his infection was 95% clearer and is still clear a month later. I've seen lots of other awesome results as well : "healing" bruised ribs, eliminating sciatica pain, releiving all sorts of pain, bringing down bunions, etc. etc. The fun part about this work is that anyone can learn it; my friends who have learned QT have had great results as well.

Cemetery Dance has become THE leading publisher of horror fiction. They put out great books by famed horror authors, but also a great magazine of short stories and articles from the leaders of the horror field. This collection of short stories reunites some of the best stories to have been featured in the Cemetery Dance magazine. And although the second tome is a little less interesting than the first one (which held 2 AMAZING Jack Ketchum stories, a good Stephen King yarn and one of the most amazing stories I've read in years by author Gary Raiser), The Best Of Cemetery Dance Volume 2 still offers some great, chilling and, at times, disturbing stories.

This tome is more concerned with detective stories/ serial killer stories. Plainclothes and The Pattern are two of the best. One of the most interesting stories in this volume is Barry Hoffman's Trial By Fire, a twisted tale of revenge. Matthew Costello's Vacation is one of the most terrifying and twisted tale I've read in a long time. And Dick Laymon's Desert Pickup is a good little story with a neat twist.

But I was disappointed that the story by Poppy Z. Brite is only the prologue to her novel Lost Souls. And Melanie Tem's contribution is very disappointing - she is able to do much better than this.

Overall, this is a great book that any horror fan should get. I am a devoted fan of Cemetery Dance and this book only reminds me of why.

This is one of those collections that when it says "best of" it means it. The stories collected here are wonderful. There were very few of them that I didn't like. They all made an impression one way or another and they definitely warranted being put in this collection. As a compilation from the Cemetery Dance magazine, there really is no central theme uniting all the stories, but I've never really thought that you had to have one. Just collect a bunch of really good stories together, call it something and release it. And that is exactly what Chizmar has done here.

The only thing that I thought was weird and didn't quite fit was the last story, or more accurately interview. It's an interview of Dean Koontz from a few years back. While slightly dated (he hypes the then-unreleased movie Phantoms as well as Mr. Murder, Intensity, and Survivor), it does contain some interesting points and definitely gives a better idea of who Koontz is. It just didn't seem to fit with the rest of the stories. Although I hate to limit my favorites to just a few, I've picked some and listed them below.

"Tyrannosaurus" by Norman Partridge - A woman seeks out vengeance against her child abducting ex-husband.

"Desert Pickup" by Richard Laymon - The circle is completed for a hitch-hiker in the desert and the woman who picks him up.

"With The Wound Still Wet" by Wayne Allen Sallee - An author and a photographer just do their jobs.

"Almost Never" by Edward Lee - Two thugs try to repay the mob by kidnapping a little girl.

"The Winds Within" by Ronald Kelly - A murder at an apartment building has a grisly origin.

"Animal Rites" by Jay. R. Bonansinga - A clever twist to an otherwise normal killing.

"Easy's Last Stand" by Nancy A. Collins - Workers at a phone sex operation prove that they are survivors.

The Best Of Cemetery Dance Volume 1 contains THE MOST amazing horror stories to have been printed in the last few years. This is a collection of who's who in the horror field. There is not one other collection of short fiction which will suprass this volume. It is, simply put, amazing.

Anyone should buy this book for the two Jack Ketchum stories, The Box and The Rifle. Both stories are amazing, touching, terrifying and very affecting. They are Ketchum at his very best.

The book also contains a very good and funny story by Stephen King, Chattery Teeth. But the real reason to get this book is to read Gary Raisor's The Right Thing, which is one of the most amazing stories I have ever read. That is one story I will not soon forget.

With other contributions from great writers like Bently Little, Lucy Taylor, Ed Gorman, Douglas Clegg and many others, this book is one that any horror fan should have on their shelf.

I am a Management Psychologist and have worked for most of my career as a consultant to the senior management of corporations. In this role, I have had to produce results, or I wouldn't be aroune very long. As a result, my approach to areas such as career management and management effectiveness tends to be rather pragmatic and results oriented.

The above said, I consider Richard Wedemeyer's earlier book, "In Transition", by far the best book ever written on how to manage a career change. His most recent book, "The Inner Edge:
Effective Spirituality in Your Life and Work", is equally good, but I see it a little differently than he and his co-author. It is a far more probing examination of all the essential aspects of self-awareness. As such, it is a practical and realistic set of concepts and exercises which will prepare one to make a quantum leap in career effectiveness or which will prepare one for a book like "In Transition." Whether this is spirituality is another issue, but it is certainly very good, accessible psychology.

Over the past 40 years I have read a bookshelf full of books offering guidance on how to feel more fulfilled, be more effective in working within organizations, etc., etc. Of the many books I have read on such topics, The Inner Edge is unique in assembling and organizing, in one book, the essential elements of what one needs to "have his or her act together" in a way that provides the reader a practical and systematic guide to make the most of who you are and deal more effectively with those around you - in family, social, and work settings.

The Inner Edge can be used in several ways including helping you figure out what to do with the rest of your life, and providing you with a practical and complete 10-20 minute daily routine to help you make each day as fulfilling and productive as possible.

This book helps us realize that we all have, and can tap into, inner spiritual strengths using our intuitive powers; but that to be freed up to access these inner strengths we first need to do three things...recognize and deal with (what the authors call) "unfinished business", take an insightful and honest look at who we are, and then set boundaries and priorities on the demands placed by others and ourselves on our time and energy.

Furthermore, The Inner Edge does more than help us in understanding these things; it is also a "how to" book. And in that regard the authors' use of "guided visualizations", particularly in helping us tap into our inner spirituality, makes The Inner Edge stand out.

While the book should be helpful to people in various stages in their lives, I think it is particularly valuable to people of any age going through a personal or job related transition; young people getting started in their careers, and people who will soon be leaving the traditional work place and are trying to deal with what to do with the rest of their lives.

The Inner Edge could not have come at a better time. In a year filled with corporate greed and mismanagement, this book redefines what should be truly important in the world of business, and how to be successful and ethical at the same time. To have the Dalai Lama endorse it only reasserts the importance of the themes which resonate here. Ethics and spirituality do have a place in the business world, and if they can be successfully incorporated in the capitalist system, the world itself may become a better place. I especially liked the chapter on unfinished business, because it is often that which keeps us from developing into truly aware, healthy individuals. I only hope this book circulates throughout the business world, and maybe the greed-mongers will take a closer look at their own spirituality, and their effect on the community.