I bought this book after carefully researching it, trying to decide if it would be a book I would use or a book that would sit on my shelf and collect dust. The recipes in this book look more time-consuming than those found in my other bread books, and I finally decided that, based on other reviews of this book, it was worth a shot.

Almost all of the recipes in this book require more than one day to make; the author bases a great many of his recipes on some form of starter, whether it's a stiff dough or a liquid sourdough starter. He asserts that this style of baking brings out the most flavor in the flour. He's right. The recipes I have tried [so far] in this book do indeed have a better and stronger flavor, in spite if the fact that the base ingredients are the same as that of other recipes in other books.

The author does more than provide a bunch of good recipes (he refers to them as "formulas"). He describes the chemistry behind the ingredients and how they react to one another when mixed. He also shows, with photographs, many different shaping methods and intermediate steps that are required in making bread dough.

The author writes the techniques and recipes in this book like a man who has a deep interest in the subject, not just a desire to crank out another cookbook. He demonstrates, through his discussion in the book, his deep understanding of the art of breadmaking. For this man, bread making is a joy and a pleasure, not just a profession. When reading this book, the reader gets pulled along into the excitement the author has for his topic, which makes the process of breadmaking even more pleasurable.

This book is not for the lazy baker. If you want to make breads that are fast and easy, look for other titles. But if you want outstanding breads, and you're willing to work for it and be patient, then this book is a superb choice.

Just bought this book last week - saw it on display at a bookstore, and it sounded interesting...looked through it, put it down to look for a less-leafed-through copy...it was the only copy around, so I grabbed it, bought it, and headed home to try it out. Having begun with Dan Leader's BREAD ALONE and more recently, Maggie Glezer's ARTISAN BAKING ACROSS AMERICA, and many great bread books in between, THE BREAD BAKER'S APPRENTICE has to be recipe for recipe the most practical, and we're talking about a bunch of great titles here. I was curious about the mystique of the Pain a L'Ancienne and had a hard time believing this one bread made of flour, salt, yeast and water...nothin' else, no sugar or anything... could cause the emotions experienced by the author and his friends as described in the book, but I tried the delayed-fermentation technique, baked a batch, and was astounded at this simple complex amazingly creamy bread. So was my family, and we're having a special baking night to make more. Add to this the cinnamon buns that literally made our knees weak, the Portuguese Sweet Bread (I grew up with this stuff in New England) and the rye bread, these are the best consitently successful bread recipes I have ever used in one bread book during the course of one week, and I highly recommend Peter Reinhart's THE BREAD BAKER'S APPRENTICE to anyone who loves to bake bread, as well as read excellent culinary literature.

This is actually three books in one.

1. A collection of Peter Reinhart's stories and travels. This adds considerable color to the narrative.

2. A group of recipes for bread. For the most part, these recipes employ longer fermentation times and wetter doughs than most people are familiar with, which makes them hard to work with at first. The good part is that they work and work well. After you've made several of the breads, you'll wonder how you made bread any other way.

3. The first 110-odd pages. This is simply the finest how-to book I've ever read on bread baking. It covers the subject from start to finish, from opening the bag of bread flour and wondering what's inside, to letting the finished loaf cool on the rack. Reinhart should publish this separately, it's that good.

If you bake bread, buy it. If you don't bake bread, buy the book and try baking some bread.

Descent is by far the best book I have ever read. Peter did a very good job with his suspense and keeping the reader in. I, myself, am not an avid reader by any means, but I had a hard time keeping myself from reading even 70 pages at a time. I loved Peter's excellent descriptions. I got a whole new view on the robots and their view on the situation. Even Peter's changes to the storyline were a good thing because then you wouldn't really know what would happen next, which added to the suspense. I think it was a good idea adding other characters to the plot like Sierra Taurus, Frank Jewelbug; and he kept some of the "good ol'" characters like Samuel Dravis Jr. I give this book a 5 star rating.

-Strap those Shakers into your pyro, load that Gauss cannon! PREPARE FOR DESCENT!-

Descent is one of the BEST books I have ever read. Being an addicted Descent player and having a site about Descent, I felt compelled to read it as soon as I heard it existed! Its really detailed, and gives me a new feel for the Descent world, now when I play the game, I always sorta think of it as a story :)

I read it in 3 days, and cant wait for Stealing Thunder!!

Even if you havnt ever played the game, its so descriptive that you wont miss a thing!

I recommend this book to any serious Descenter or someone just looking to read a GREAT Sci-Fi Book!

Amazing Book, Congrats and Thanks, Peter!

[PTMC Transmition Ended] {TySoft OUT}

To be honest, I must say that I expected DESCENT to be worse than the game, as it was released after. I was horribly wrong. Every time I read this book (which is several dozen times a year), I feel like i'm really in the cockpit of an illegally modified Pyro-GX, blasting mechs apart with a vengeance. This is the best book I have read in a long time, save for the other two books, DESCENT : Stealing Thunder and DESCENT : Equinox. I only hope there is a fourth.

First of all, if you're looking for a highly detailed review of the content of this book, nope, wrong place! I review books with the enjoymnet factor being of number 1 importance. What I learn after my enjoymnet comes next. There's another review of this title that you can read for high level stimulation. So, let's get going...

I liked this book a lot, how's that for intellectual. It reads well, I was entertained and I learned a lot more then I expected, which is good for I planned on learning a lot about becoming an effective executive. But history lessons, hey, this is a bonus.

Mr. Drucker uses, as have other leadership teachers, many important history lessons of this century to illustrate his effective executive points. He includes life adventures of Gen. Marshall, Presidents Roosevelt and Kennedy, even Bach, Mozart, Verdi and Haydn to illustrate points. One of my favorite comments is from Chapter 5 (First Things First), "Executives can hardly assume that they are 'executive Mozarts'". No more hints, you'll understand when you read the book. The chapter addressing "The Elements of Decision Making" is the best of the book, although the others are not far behind.

If you are in the market for a book on executive leadership, you better put this close to the top of your short reading list. If you are searching for an insightful look at some 20th Century history, then this is a good stop for the political scientist. Whatever your reason, buy and read this book, and see how it helps you become a more decisive and better leader, oops, "Executive".

The content of this book is very timely and applicable to anyone who is considered to be a 'knowledge worker'. Regardless of title, the knowledge worker really is an executive. Several pages in the first chapter are dedicated to setting up this argument and scoping out the audience.

Drucker is very methodical in laying out his 5 principles of effectiveness. These are the basis for his two arguments in the book - executives must be effective and effectiveness must be learned. In each chapter that supports his principles, he lays the foundation for the principle, builds walls around it with countless real-life examples, and then drives them home with even more real-life examples.

Perhaps the greatest asset within this book is the rich examples that Drucker has provided. He is the oracle of management that has real experience as a strategist and theorist. He has no qualms with hitting common textbook theory head on in his books and has countless examples to back him up.

One drawback is that it can become tiresome to read some parts. Drucker really drives home some points and if you've already got it, you lose appreciation for the extra examples.

Ok, so it's not like reading a Grisham novel, but I promise you will take some valuable nuggets away from this book that can help you in building your career.

This book has some powerful messages for the modern executive. The difference between being busy and being effective is an important distinction that Drucker highlights. He also highlights some important rules of thumb that are very true but often taken for granted. For example, the fact that any significant innovation requires large chunks of consecutive time spent focused on the issue. Any manager that wants to create a breakthrough change in their organization needs to think through the issues in large chunks. All we can do in small chunks of time is what we did yesterday. He also points out that the critical scarce resource for any executive is time and that some of the most important decisions an executive makes is any honest assessment of what is not going to get done. Too many projects keep moving forward burning up critical time and never reaching critical mass. Drucker provides insight into how to either make something happen or how to be decisive about what you are not going to do which is often even harder

I bought this book in 1997 before starting a masters program. I had a JD and thought that getting a masters would be a piece of cake. Was I wrong! However, at least with Dr. Peters' book in hand, I knew what to look out for, what to concentrate on, and what not to spend my time worrying over. Like an idiot, I tossed the book when I finished my masters program because I thought I'd gotten 'what I came for.' Now I'm applying to Ph.D. programs and knew that this was the ONE book I had to have before starting on this journey. My thoughts were borne out when a respected professor friend recommended the book. When I said I'd not only read it, but had just bought my SECOND copy, I knew from his face that he knew I was serious. Getting What You Came For offers a great service. I thought I knew about academia, but again, the law school experience is not the graduate school experience. Because of Dr. Peters' advice, I made a point of getting out of my intellectual shell and worked on developing a true network of colleagues. Two years out of a rigorous masters program, I continue to be in contact with a large number of classmates and professors - professors who know me, are supporting me in my Ph.D. applications, and who have developed into real friends.

This book isn't supposed to be read in one sitting and not every section will be applicable to every reader. Some sections are more helpful once you're in school, as opposed to the applications process, some are more helpful to doctoral students. However, much of the book is applicable to most people. There are sections on issues relevant to minority, women, international, and mature students. Most guides assume the reader is a 28 year old white American male. If you don't fit this profile, your experience will be different. Dr. Peters addresses these differences well.

If you are applying to doctoral programs, most of the book will apply to you. If you are in a program, you will return to Dr. Peters' book often for its advice on time management, thesis writing, dealing with faculty, and employment when it's all over.

I recommend this book highly to anyone considering graduate school. If you are already in a school, you should still buy it - you will get helpful insights that you can use throughout your academic career.

Until reading this book, I was convinced that all graduate school guides were written for second graders. The advice contained in most guidebooks is tragically simplistic and usually amounts to plain common sense. And any detailed information (on financial aid, etc.) contained within can be easily found using a good search engine on the internet.

Peters' book is the only guidebook I have ever read that is worth buying. It is geered towards educated, resourceful people contemplating graduate school and actually "tells you something you didn't already know."

I absolutely, positively recommend this book to anyone pursuing, applying for, or even entertaining the possibility of graduate studies. It differs from others I've read in that it is thorough, thoughtful and genuinely useful, whether you think you've got it all figured out or haven't got a clue. The chapter on choosing an advisor (versus a school) is indispensable. Testimonials from admissions committees, advisors and students cover all the bases. A HUGE bonus is the author's firsthand knowledge of grad school in the sciences- and how it differs from the humanities. Advisors, please let your students know this book exists. Students, buy one immediately.

I'm so delighted that I discovered these Vicky Bliss mysteries. The characters are good and Elizabeth Peters always provides fascinating settings for her stories.

In NIGHT TRAIN TO MEMPHIS, Vicky Bliss is asked by a police agency to be a part of a tour group as they cruise down the Nile River seeing the beautiful monuments and ancient pyramids of Egypt. The police suspect that some professional thieves will be on board and hope that Vicky can assist in identifying them. The characters are diverse and of course, Sir John Smythe also shows up for the tour. Vicky's dismayed to find him using a different name and traveling with a sweet young woman. Just a few months before the tour, John and Vicky had resumed their love affair and now she's thoroughly confused by the way that he's acting. There are a lot of surprises in this story.

I found it amazing to see that out of 32 reviews on this book, 30 reviewers gave this story a Five Star Rating. That has got to be some kind of a record. It shows what an excellent writer that Elizabeth Peters is and how she always delivers great fiction.

First of all: If this is your first Vicky Bliss stop reading this review right now. Go back and read the others in the series starting with "Street of Five Moons" (Borrower of the Night was actually first but it isn't nearly as good as the others. Maybe I think think this because I am in love with John though....) Follow "Street of Five Moons" with "Sillouette in Scarlet" and "Trojan Gold". After those, this book will be much more fun to read. After I read Trojan Gold I thought that Ms. Peter's books just couldn't get any better. "Night Train to Memphis" is absolutely amazing. I started it and couldn't put it down until I knew what happened. The characters all seemed like old friends and even after I read it again and again I would laugh out loud at the witty remarks made by John and Vicky. If the rest of the Bliss fans are suffering as much as I am from the authors failure to produce anymore Vicky Bliss mysteries ( I hope it isn't permanent) I thoroughly recommend "The Camelot Caper". I read it before "Night Train to Memphis" and didn't recognize it until it was pointed out to me, but this is John's first scam.

Of all of the books in the Vicky Bliss series, I would have to say that "Night Train to Memphis" is my favorite. Not only do we learn more about Vicky and John's true feelings about one another (finally!!!), but most of the story is set in Egypt! Elizabeth Peters is a master at winding historical fact into her novels, and "Night Train" is certainly no exception. Her knowledge of Egyptology is displayed throughout the novel--but reading it feels nothing like a history lesson! It's more like a vacation! In fact, I could not put it down until I was sure Vicky, John, and Schmidt made it through their adventure unharmed (or do they...)! Oh, and for serious fans of Ms. Peters...have you noticed yet that John Smythe and his mother appeared in another book far before they showed up in the Vicky Bliss series? Check out "The Camelot Caper"... :)

This is not the first Peter Drucker's book i read. But i realize this is the better one. Their concepts on management, and the challenges coming up, not only for business but goverment and people too, create new lines for research, practice and discussion on the never complete science-art-method of managing entities into a ever changing social world. But this book would not get an academic prize. This is not the basic concern the author had in mind. Since the first chapter, when he makes a in-depth review on the managemet's basic assumptions, until the end, when he writes a brilliant chapter about personal management, there is a basic concern, what is, improve our potential to make the difference, to translate into better actions what you are reading. As he writes in the introduction, this book is a call for action.

After reading this book you will be a little bit more worried about the future, and you will feel a little bit more involved in understandig the trends, the troubles, the risks, that are around our bussineses, in order to build up solutions in advance.

A book to have near (at your bedroom, at the office, at your desk), to remind every time basic things. And to act.

This is Drucker's first really new book in several years, though he tested some of its themes in journal articles before writing Challenges. As the title implies, the book looks forward to the most important management issues Drucker believes will emerge from developing trends. He points to the certainties that will rise to the forefront of managers' strategic thinking. He discusses how we must manage the knowledge workers who will predominate our future work force. Drucker ends by wrestling with how knowledge workers must manage themselves and their lengthening careers.

Too many sociologists believe that they must answer every question they pose. To bring this closure, they ask and answer questions that are too trivial. The best sociologists raise the important questions, answer the ones they can, and leave the remaining work for others. That is how Drucker continues to excel at age 90. Challenges is a must read for management professionals, students, and scholars.

Peter Drucker is a thinker who gets to the heart of issues and can make one see the world, and one's self, in a different way.

That may seem like a grandiose claim for what, on the surface, is merely a business book. But if you're the least bit familiar with Drucker's numerous books and articles, written over a 60-year career, you already suspect that this isn't a mere business book. We live in times of turbulent change. Drucker's task is to make us SEE, to give us guiding insights and principles. He illuminates the deeper forces of history, of economics, of society, which managers in ALL kinds of instituations - hospitals, universities, churches, nonprofits, governments, and of course businesses - will inevitably face. Drucker not only calls for a new paradigm of management, but he outlines that new paradigm - and more importantly, contrasts it with the old paradigm. The word paradigm itself has become cliche, but Drucker's analysis is hardly fluffy or faddish.

And that's just in the first chapter. In the rest of this brief (207 pages) but potent book, he expounds (as evidenced by the chapter titles) on the following themes: Strategy - The New Certainties; The Change Leader; Information Challenges; Knowledge-Worker Productivity; Managing Oneself. The latter chapter alone - which is about managing one's career(s) in light of the insights provided in the foregoing chapters - is alone worth the price of admission. There are several small gems of practical advice in that chapter alone, and it also gives one food for ongoing thought (as does the rest of the book).

As Drucker himself concludes, this book is ultimately not about the future of management. It's about the future of society. In reading it (or any of Drucker's other works), you get the sense you're in the presence of a great thinker who has a passion for truth. This book isn't just for managers, it's for all "knowledge workers" who seek a sophisticated perspective on deep historical forces which will affect everybody in all developed countries. Drucker consciously intended - and in my opinion succeeded - to write a practical book for people who aren't afraid to think and challenge their assumptions about the world and themselves. Drucker's focus is utlimately on *action*. He doesn't give recipes, he gives questions, insights, and principles on which to formulate actions and make decisions. He even offers advice on how to get the most out of his book.

A couple of notes about Drucker's writing style, for those who haven't read him before: Drucker's prose and word rhythms can sometimes be quirky. He has a fondness for occasionally "quoting" words and for EMPHASIZING THINGS IN CAPITAL LETTERS. He's not a fuzzy-minded loudmouth, though. That's part of his natural, unpretentious style, and his message doesn't suffer for it.

Also, in this particular book, Drucker uses a layout technique which I initially found to be confusing, but I eventually came to appreciate. He sprinkles the entire book - without warning or explanation - with paragraphs that are indented further in from the "main" paragraphs. At first I thought he was quoting himself from his earlier works. But I finally realized that the indented paragraphs are "meat", in the form of specific examples or historical references. Once I figured that out, they didn't bother me, and in fact I appreciated the layout.

In summary: read this book! It's much more worthwhile than most business or change-your-life seminars, which can cost hundreds of times more.

Robert McCammon really outdid himself this time ! I rate this one up there with "Salem's Lot" by Stephen King. In fact, I think it may be a tie. This is one book I would love to see made into a movie. Could be really scary !

This right up there with "The Stand", "Ghost Story" and "Swan Song" as one of my all-time favorite horror books. It's the best vampire book ever. I've read it several times.

I have read a lot of horror books in my life and have never read anything that comes close to being as scary as this book; I wouldn't even read it after dark, only during the day! The characters are so finely described that they seem to spring into life right off the pages. The story itself is so plausible that I couldn't imagine it wasn't really true and happening now. I sincerely hope they don't make a movie from this book because I have seen "Hollywood" butcher so many other great stories I know they will never get this one right. If the reason you read horror is to get scared then you must read "They Thirst".

Very funny book, frank gives his views on music, beer, rock journalism, televangelists, his own politics('practical conservatism'). You have the biographical stuff when he was a kid, which is very funny (especially the explosives stuff). You then get a history of the original mothers, the freak scene and that stuff. There's a hilarious chapter on frank's dirty lyrics (drool brittania) with some priceless quotes from a court case. Frank talks about his kids a bit, and what he likes to eat. There's some interesting stuff on music,orchestra problems, and music technology. Then Frank talks about more political stuff in the last third of the book. This is hit and miss, alot of this is stuff which was current at the time of writing but it hasn't aged well. (And it isn't that interesting in any case). The pmrc stuff is good, also the televangelism. Non zappa fans can read this and enjoy it, and fz fans definitely need to read this!! Thank you

i had to read "the real frank zappa book" for school, but it certainly wasnt an inconvience. i grew up on frank zappa, having a father as a zappa nut. so i had an inkling of an idea as to what he was all about. a great look into zappa's life, although my dad tells me there is some controversy as to what is true, even in an autobiography. i suppose it's hard to find a credible source on such a wild guy, eh? but anyhow...an extremely good book. quite a jolly laugh, too...

Working at a library has almost no perks. I shelve the travel section so there isn't much stimulation in the way of brain waves(then again, my job is pretty tedious to begin with). However, one day while wondering through a friend's section I found a gem. I found The Real Frank Zappa Book. When their were breaks in my work, I would grab this book and read it feverously. Even with my increasing respect and love for Zappa's work, I still found this a great book. It packs a sharp wit, biting comentary, and overal, is just a good quick read.

The book covers Zappa's origin, his early musical influences, the tough times of M.O.I.(Mothers of Invention), insight as to his musical creation process, and even a indepth look into his battle with the well-known PMRC. The great thing is even with all this retrospect, the man never loses his sense of humor. Sometimes slapstick, sometimes satire, always truthful.

Anyone interested in the man that was Zappa, I highly recommend this book. Those who are interested in becoming a musician, I also recomend this book(his musical insight is very inspiring). In fact, I recomend this book to all. Its just a shame he died before his time. Zappa was a true inovator of music. There will never be another Frank Zappa.

I read only the first book of the three in the series, but I cried a lot whilst I was reading it as I've already realised that Norton's gone before I came to know him. So I can imagine I'll cry even more when I read the two other books I ordered (Further Advertures and Final Advertures). Norton is surely every cat-lover's dream cat. But, what I want to say here is that after reading the book, I love my own cat even more. A cat's life is relatively short and vulnerable compares with human being, and so we should cherish the days when we still have our cat with us. Finally I sincerely hope that Mr. Gethers can extend his love for Norton to other cats as well, as, I do believe, that's what little angel Norton tried to teach him.

The book, The cat who went to Paris was both heartfelt, and funny. It was especially wonderful because it is about a real cat, I adored this book and I think that it would be liked at many ages My favorite part in the book was when Norton, the cat, went walking around in New York in Peter Gether's pocket, Norton sounds like a great cat, and I hope that Mr. Gethers got his wish and Norton lived to be 22(that's in the second book) The part that I almost cried at was when... you'll have to read the book to find out! (Annoying huh?), and I hope you Like it! It was GREAT!

This is the best book about what love can do to you.When I am sad or depressed Peter Gethers and his Norton can always cheer me up a little bit.It is interesting and funny to read how Peter Gethers(how used to hate cats)was taught by Norton(a little cat)to love cats.I gave this book as a present to almost every of my friends ,and they loved it all!!
I know Mr Gethers lives sometimes in New York does anybody know if he and Jannis are okay? I am a bit worried after this terrible,unbeliefable terror act.If anybody knows something please tell me.

Agatha Raisin, a sharp-tongued middle aged woman, debuts in this cozy set in the Cotswolds of England. Agatha, tired of London and the publicity business, sells out and buys a cottage in the village of Carsely. Wanting desperately to fit in, she enters a baking contest in the village, but resorts to cheating when she enters a store bought quiche instead of her own. When the judge of the contest dies from eating the quiche, all fingers point to Agatha and she must admit to all that she cheated. All the while, Agatha becomes more and more curious about the poison found in the murder victim, and wanting to clear her name, Agatha sets out to find the real killer. Helping her (when everyone else shuns her) are Mrs. Bloxsby, the vicar's wife, and Detective Bill Wong. Future love-interest, James Lacey, is also introduced in this hilarious romp of a mystery.

M.C. Beaton is also the author of the much-loved Hamish McBeth mystery series, and shows her sense of humor in this series. Agatha's antics are legendary, and at times, I laughed out loud at some of the silly things that she does. Agatha's low self-esteem (hidden under a rough, blustery exterior) makes you root for her even when she pushes everyone away. I especially like the scenes in which Agatha tries to make herself appear younger (wearing tons of make-up that runs, high-heeled shoes for a walk, etc.) because she becomes much more human and lovable to the reader. If you have not read this series and you like cozy mysteries, ask yourself what you are waiting for, and get all of the books in the series! Then curl up with a cup of tea and enjoy!

This book was the first in the Agatha Raisin series from Ms. Beaton. I found it browsing back in the mid-90's. I've always been a fan of British mystery, but this is something else. There have been some many Marple knock-offs, but early on the reader learns Ms. Raisin has little in common with Christie's heroine.

Writing with omniscience, we learn that Agatha Raisin has hidden a lifetime of hurt with a tough exterior and a razor-sharp tongue. She has been able to submerge that inner pain under a hard-won career. However, when she decides to sell her business and retire to 'the country', her sense of being an outsider comes back to haunt her. She learns she wants to belong to the community of villagers among whom she lives, and learns she can't retreat to London. Her efforts to assimilate into village life are the most humorous and touching parts of the book.

Of course, there is a murder woven into the book, along with a frustrated romance. The plot is logical and the dialogue believable.

I've loaned this book to several non-mystery-readers over the years, and they've all loved it. The inner vulnerability and self-criticism from which Agatha suffers is a universal theme. I've read the rest of the Raisin books and have enjoyed them all, but none as much as this first effort.

For those who read this and like it, check out Beaton's other mysteries not featuring Ms. Raisin. You'll like them, too!

It's a comparatively long time for me to get a great affection for another mystery series. Agatha, though reminding me and many readers of Agatha Christie and making us assume Agatha must be like Miss. Marple, has a really interesting character. Considering getting a taxi pushing a guy, she's tough, but from her past history, she is pathetic. Aside from her strong character and career, she needs an affection and concerns from the others. I laughed when her attitude reversed when getting a hope on James Lacey after hearing Bill Wong's tip on his sister. Anyway..the thing I like to comment is that the crown jewel of this series is Agatha Raisin. I ordered the sequal series already, and I am looking forward to getting a free time to absorb myself in Agatha's adventures.
I read the other series of Hamish, and it seems to be really interesting. M.C. Beaton's writing is really smooth and easy to read. Reading this, I thought I watched another TV series of Jessica Fletcher hearing some rhythmical and bright music.