Steven doesn't remember much about his childhood. What he does remember are bits and pieces of memories, which he can't string together: being left alone on a road in the middle of nowhere when he was young, an unfamiliar name which suddenly seems familiar, a house with strangers in a strange city far from where he lives now. His mother avoids answering his ever-increasing questions as she tries to cope with the own stress and shreds of her own life. Her boyfriend, Darryl, abandoned them and stole their car, leaving their lives in chaos. Steven is then forced to take on responsibility for his mother and baby brother Dylan. Steven discovers the secrets of his past when his mother has to go into the city to recover their stolen car. The lives of this small family then start to fall in place.

This book is about a boy who gets his car stolen. I liked the book because it involves a mystery. I also like it because it is interesting and a short story. I would recommend this book to anybody that likes mysteries and interesting stories.

It is perhaps ironic that only in the days of modern instant communication and political spin doctoring that much more is becoming known about the role of "Grub Street" in the war effort of 200 years ago. Napoleon's own contribution to spin is well-known, so here Simon Burrows examines the efforts made by French emigres to shift opinion both within France and outside to the restoration of order through the turbulent 1790s. The papers began with the mass exoduses from France of 1792-3 and this is the story of the sometimes hand-to-mouth existence of a relative handful of publishers who tried to keep various papers going. Although at this time, the London times was already becoming established, the émigré papers were more akin to modern magazines, relying on subscription income and mostly being produced at fortnightly or longer intervals with circulations of less than a thousand. However, having started as a mix of culture and politics, the papers increasingly moved towards pushing particular political lines as the factions jockeyed for power in Paris. Given the private nature of these operations, a surprising amount of material has survived and it is possible for Burrows to paint clear images of several proprietors, especially Mallet du Pan, although many of those involved remain shadowy figures, as do their links with the Bourbons. Having dealt with the rather complex (and sometimes rather Byzantine) business angle, Burrows goes on to explain the propaganda war and sets out a framework upon which doubtless more will be written. The book is a joint publication between the Royal Historical Society and Boydell & Brewer, publishers of Elizabeth Sparrow's book: Secret Service, so it is interesting to see several of the minor characters from Sparrow's work also showing up in this, revealing the links between the open and more clandestine émigré efforts. The newspapers themselves were also translated into English to keep British opinion with the émigrés as Britain struggled with the costs of war in the 1790s. The author gets a little ahead of himself in the propaganda section taking the story up to 1810 before returning to the detail of the 1790s, which can mix up the national policy considerations with rivalries amongst the various émigré factions. Nevertheless, the failure of the émigrés to form any kind of cohesive unity is clear and like today, various papers followed their own viewpoint. As with so many aspects of the period, the competing ideas and factions shift to a direct focus on the new regime of Napoleon Bonaparte following the coup d'etat of November 1799.The British government begins to take a greater interest in several papers and arranges substantial subscriptions to keep the favoured papers going, while at the same time, Bonaparte's regime seeks to close down any free press in the territories it controls and limit criticism from elsewhere. The struggle reaches its high point in the libel case brought on behalf of the Consul against Peltier, publisher of L'Ambigu (A title itself reflecting the mixed reaction to Bonaparte) in late 1802. The British government had tried to keep the lid on the press whilst preserving its freedom in the period immediately following the Treaty of Amiens, but the pressure both of Napoleon's efforts to suppress adverse comment and the confusion in emigre ranks caused by his invitations to return. Some émigré papers were favourable, while others become even more opposed to the French government. The journalistic output of this period provides an extra angle to the breakdown of relations between Britain and France within a year of Amiens. Then the British government increasingly supports the anti-Bonaparte papers as tools of propaganda across Europe and even into the American continent as the now Imperial French regime tightened its grip on its own press. Napoleon's struggle with the Pope also became a key part of émigré reporting and the journalistic background to several key events provides a new angle on them. The book concludes with an assessment of the creation of the Black Legend of Napoleon. In noting its origins amongst the émigré press, Burrows demonstrates how this extreme attack actually stifled a more reasoned critique of the Bonapartist regime and thereby allowed the romantic notion to come to fruition both in the reign of Napoleon III and today's revival. Further reading would include The Right-Wing Press in the French Revolution 1789-92 (WJ Murray) from the same publishers and British Periodical Press and the French Revolution, 1789-99 (Stuart Andrews). Although this is book is expensive, it is a hopeful sign - the cost is higher because this is on a short run, but at least some publishers are prepared to print worthwhile material and there is more in this book than many of the standard popular histories of the period. An illuminating and worthwhile, if rather complex, read, which shows there is little new in the press of today.

As far as cook books go this is a fantastic book to opt for. It ranges from delicate sauces to the most complex of deserts. This book has only two flaws which in a sense are not real flaws. The first is that this book is definately designed for the experienced cook. Though it offers an explantion of many of the complicated tasks in its recipes, there is a lot of knowledge it takes for granted. So while this book is definately not for the rank amateur, with a combination of other books this could be a fantastic referece book to own. As for the second flaw, the ingredients required are not always the easiest to find. Some of the things neccessary for the recipes can not be found in your everyday super-market. But if you have access to some specialized markets you will be cooking like a professional in no time at all.

French and Smith edit and contribute to this collection of recent research on Bayesian methods. The book is intended to advertise to the community of potential users the great advances and advantages of the Bayesian approach to decision making. Some articles emphasize applications and the specifics of computation. Each article contains its own references but an index for the entire volume is included in the back of the book. 23 authors contributed to this volume.

This book is a nice, cute, coffee-table book. It has lovely pictures, text in a font which is difficult to read but looks handwritten, and not much content.

I had hoped to get some significant culinary info for an upcoming trip to Provence, but found this book long on looks and cutesy text but with frustratingly little information. Much better for those trying to figure out how to buy/eat there is "Markets of Provence" and, believe it or not, the Peter Mayle books.

So if you want a nice coffee table book with the name of Mr. Ducasse on the cover, buy it. If you want useful info for planning the culinary part of your trip to Provence (and food in Provence is pretty close to heaven, people), choose another book.

This is a beautiful book - lovely recipes, great photography, useful information for a food lover's trip to Provence, BUT - it's too big and bulky to bring along on your trip. (I had hoped for a book similar to Carla Capalbo's "The Food Lover's Companion to Tuscany.") It's a great book, but I won't be bringing it to Provence next month.

As a person who loves Provence I find this book to be a true find! Who cares if you like to cook! The pictures alone will make you want to jump on a plane. The "Stopping Along the Way" section in the back is a superb travel/eating/drinking guide.

Well worth buying whether you have been to Provence many times or can't wait to go!

I read a re-released version of this book, titled "The Elusive Truffle" which was probably a fairly accurate description because truffles are hardly mentioned at all!

Mirabel Osler is fearful that traditional French food is disappearing, so she sets out to explore France in search of restaurants continuing the old traditions. And despite all the concerns expressed in her introduction, she seems to find quite a few places to her taste throughout France.

I enjoyed the descriptions of the meals (though I don't know if I really wanted to eat much of what was served) and especially the discussions the author had with the chefs who fed her. They all showed enthusiasm for their styles of cooking, and a belief that their traditions were alive and well. My only complaint were the brief descriptions of the travels made to reach the restaurants, and of the towns or areas where they were situated. I would have liked some more background.

But in summary, an enjoyable book, that shows that good food can be found in France and will continue to be found for some time to come. I just wish there had been a few truffle dishes!

I love reading bilingual or parallel French and English books. It is a pleasant way to learn French. However, the "French Short Stories 2" edited by Simon Lee is a collection of the most depressing and miserable short stories that I have ever read - covering such topics as suicide, battle deaths, or decayed bodies on the beach. The translations were good, I only wish the editor chose some redeeming stories.