As Andrew Vachss has proven on several occasions, stories which turn on the sexual abuse and enslavement of children are the true horror stories of the mystery genre. We have a primal reaction to the content which pulls us out of our comfortable lives and imbues the details of the novel with an intensity which many readers find deeply disturbing and uncomfortable. The reason is obvious. Nothing is as defenseless as a child, and nothing is more tragic than the inevitable ruination of a child's spirit.

David Cray opens 'Little Girl Blue' with a grim scene. Lt. Julia Brennan comes to a crime site where the victim is a 9 year old girl, frozen to death in Central Park. The evidence shows that the girl had been fleeing from something so terrible that she was willing to run exposed through the city and into the park. Without even raising a hand in violence the world of the pedophile has executed another victim. Brennan becomes determined to track down those responsible, and to give Little Girl Blue back her real name.

What follows is a story of justice and revenge. Brennan and her partner, Peter Foley find themselves one step behind someone who is determined to kill all the perpetrators of this crime and destroy the evidence. Foley, whose own daughter was kidnapped, resulting in his wife's suicide, is driven to hunt the perverse. But for Julia, his personal tragedy makes him a potential suspect. Even while working closely with her, he pursues his own hunt, heedless of the potential danger.

Such stories, built on the dark core of human evil are the true noir stories. Vachss's tales reveal a world where hope is futile and salvation is only accidental. David Cray builds a vision no less grim, but definitely less pessimistic. He dangles the possibility that at least some of the characters he lovingly portrays will be enlarged, not diminished by the tragedy. And that somehow, in the midst of a police procedural, there can be glints of healing.

'Little Girl Blue' provides a clinical distance which is both its most fatal flaw and the key to its success. After the girl herself is found, the next victims become the adults that people an underworld, rather than the children themselves. This deflection reduces stress and keeps the book accessible to the reader. On the other hand it makes the dark secret of its center a little less horrible than it should be. Child abuse is a prevalent problem which rarely receives the attention it should because it is too strong an issue to confront directly. 'Little Girl Blue' is a fascinating start, but there are miles yet to go.

The corpse of the preadolescent girl in wintry Central Park leaves its mark on all the law enforcement officials who saw the blue colored dead body. The Assistant ME and the Manhattan North Borough Commander simply want the culprit dead for such a vile act. Even NYPD Lieutenant Julia Brennan, normally a stoic ambitious cop, strongly reacts, but she knows she must contain her feelings to thoroughly lead the investigation.

Julia and her team begin to make inquiries that quickly lead to pornography mostly focused on child prostitution and a link with international adoption. Obtaining the help of sex crimes expert Peter Foley, Julia personalizes this case in every possible way in order to see that the culprit who did this heinous crime to LITTLE GIRL BLUE faces justice.

LITTLE GIRL BLUE is a strong police procedural that allows the audience to follow Julia and her cohorts as they dig deep into the underbelly of Manhattan to try to solve the crime. The exciting, well-written story line is a delight for sub-genre fans because the investigation is intelligently designed while keeping the readers' attention. The psychological impact on Julia, who has a teen daughter, adds depth though the author never allows his character's emotions to overwhelm her work. This strong tale will send readers investigating bookstores for previous works by Mr. Cray (see BAD LAWYER).

Harriet Klausner

from the courtroom to the scene of the crime.

His prior novel, "Bad Lawyer" featured a down on his luck attorney, with memorable plot and characterization. These were no flukes! Cray seems to be as comfortable when his main character is a female, and a cop, as he was with Sid Kaplan.
He manages to capture all the difficulty a woman on the force has with the balance of job and family, authority and friendship, in his heroine, Julia Brennan.

Andrew Vachss has successfully dealt for years with the seamy side of crime - child prostitution and pornography. Cray tackles these crimes with the discovery of a dead child...whose memory resonates in Brennan's head. She pushes on with partner Foley, uncovering a band of deviants who are among New York City's most wealthy. Cray keeps a little more distance than Vachss, dealing with the crimes with compassion, but blending the stark reality with characters who, on the surface, seem normal, although they are sexual predators.

There are some excellent supporting players in Julia's team, along with Foley, (a difficult man to read), the profiler, Julia's uncle,( a journalist), and her daughter. Chief among the players is Anja Dascalescu; the "Little Girl Blue" of the title. Although we never meet Anja in life, in death, she represents the thousands of children who are forced to live as victims by predators who think only of themselves.

Little Girl Blue is a powerful novel, with an exciting climax, and characters you would like to meet again. David Cray, whoever you are, you've done an outstanding job!

Buy it, read it...be prepared for some despair.

If you have ever been to Little Italy, or have something similar in your hometown, you will enjoy this book, apart from the fact it is packed full of wonderful Italian recipes that are shared in all their glory in some terrifically appealing photos. I found most recipes seemed to have a southern Italian flair, and recognized many that my own Mother In Law traditionally makes. I was thrilled to see the recipe for Pasta, Ricotta and Dandelion Pie as I had tried something very similar years ago while living in Italy and had seen nothing like it since. The recipes are easy to follow, the ingredients readily available, and every recipe I have tried to date has been worth repeating. A must have book for anyone who enjoys Italian food.

this cookbook has provided me MANY recipies which I've been after for years. I bought this book for the cover price of 29.95 and I have no regrets. This cookbook is the best you will find anywhere, short of having a 80 year old italian grandmother from northern New Jersey ( and even then it will have classics you do not have)

I cannot recommend this cookbook highly enough. The recipies inside will amaze your northern New Jersey mafia families...it's that good.

10 out of 10 stars.

]

David Ruggerio's "Little Italy Cookbook" is an exploration of not only fine Italian American cuisine (not true Italian as defined by the author, but rather adaptations based upon the Italian immigrant experience once in America) but also of the soul of what it is to be Italian. He journeys back to New York's Little Italy and spends a great amount of effort in trying to create for the reader a sense of desire to be in the locales he is. Many of the recipes he puts forth are amazing. Some of my favorites: "Brisket of Beef with Genoese Sauce", "Collari - Crispy Fried Stuffed Bread", "Penne alla San Giovanni - Pasta with Sage, Walnuts, and Prosciutto", and "Chestnut and Ricotta Semifreddo". One of my favorite essays is about the Royal Crown Bakery and the "revival of a great tradition". The book is loaded with photos, both color and black and white, all of which convey an image of Italian American life. This is not just another Italian cookbook - it is an Italian American story. I highly recommend this to those who love to read while stirring the pot waiting for the pasta to finish.

This book is okay, but not great. I like some of the entries in it, but if you are looking for a source of Buddhist wisdom, be aware that many of the quotations in this little book are not from Eastern sources. I prefer a book of Buddhist wisdom titled "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" by Taro Gold.

You will learn little about ZEN in any worth while sense with this book, but if you are just beginning to wonder what ZEN is this is a great book. It gives you quotes from many traditions and personalities and it is very easy find things to inspire further thought and experience. If you're more familiar with ZEN it's still a great book because of the diversity of its source material and for the ocassional quick whack up-side the head. If you want SERIOUS zen books check out Meditation in Action (or Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism) -- by Chogyam Trungpa

This is not a book to read cover to cover in one sitting. It is a book to flip through when you need a moment of escape or reflection. I kept it in my college dorm and found it a nice diversion.

It is a good introduction to Zen and how to apply Zen to your daily life. This book encourages the reader to look for Zen in the world around him/her by showing that Zen can be found just about anyplace. Some of the quotes are of course better thna others, but overall this is a worthwhile little book to have around!

A wonderful little "bathroom" book with over 300 pages of prayers and blessings from Muslim, Zen, American Indian and East African prayers to bible verses; quotes from Martin Luther and Martin Luther King, excerpts from books (Color Purple) and plays (Shakespeare). A great stocking stuffer.

This book includes some of the most beautiful ruminations on faith and prayer I've ever heard. It combines the work of theologians and holy people with poets, both modern and ancient. Some of the most touching entries have inspired me to find a book of poetry by its author... I give this book as a gift all the time. It has also helped me in moments of wavering faith... I'm endlessly grateful for this book!

I bought it and have made some of the recipes. I'll end up making them all but so far I know this much...
- The rice recipe, which I followed very closely, was not very good. Did they really want the onions to go into a puree?
- The chicken recipe has as a key ingredient a can of Las Palmas brand Chile Coloarado. Does your grocer carry it? You might want to check. I have checked several stores and they don't, including two mexican groceries. I did a quick online search and so far haven't found it there either. If your grocery doesn't stock it, you are going to have have to make up something else here or skip this recipe.
- Which would be too bad because of the extremely limited number of recipies in this book...a couple for salsa, one for rice, one for beans, one for chicken (which may be useless), one for beef, one for lamb, and a few misc. strays, for guac etc. Almost no variations one any of them. I didn't know when I ordered it just how tiny the book is.
- I don't think it's written or edited by anyone who has a lot of cooking experience. I have found a couple of the directions fuzzy. And the recipes for burritos either don't state how many servings they make, or are made for different numbers of servings (steak 3 servings, chicken 4). If the individual recipes (rice, beans, meat) aren't coordinated according to number of servings, I have to ask myself if these guys have been using their own recipes, or just who edited this book?
- Overall, sorry to be harsh but this isn't really a cookbook, it's a tiny little book with the theme "Aren't burritos cool!" Which they are. However, a cool book about burritos would focus more on how to make great burritos, rather than on jokey stuff about taqueria decorations and signage. The other reviews don't ring true to me, having used the book. Skip this one. The Bayless books have a lot of good rice, bean, meat, and salsa recipes that are great for making burritos, and I'm finding them quite useful (clear recipes, and tasty).

Full of really interesting information not only about burritos themselves, but about any subject that can in any way be related to burritos - . And it's written in a very witty, intelligent, and bright way that makes for laughs on every page.
You'll like it -

Outstanding. "!Burritos! Hot on the Trail of the Little Burro" is the perfect gift for the burrito lover in your family. Much like a burrito, it's packed with a little bit of everything: burrito folk lore, history, recipes, restaurant reviews; just about anything one could ever hope to know about this terrific food. All written with sharp humor and keen insight. Plop yourself down on the couch with this book. You're certain to learn a little something, laugh quite a bit and of course, get very hungry.

As a mother of 6 children, 4 biological and 2 adopted as toddlers, I feel this book presents a powerful message about seeking and finding love and acceptance in non-conventional places. I have been searching for books for our 5 year old adopted daughter that reinforce the fact that her adoptive Mommy and Daddy truly love her and will care for her even though she "grew in her other Mommy's tummy". Because my daughter is Hispanic and my husband and I are not, the subtle issue of the differences between the beetle and the spider were not lost on her. The first time we finished reading "Little Miss Spider" together, she threw her arms around my neck and with tears brimming in her eyes declared, "You're my favorite Mommy forever and ever!" What more could any parent ask for? My biological 11 year old daughter says to tell you that she loves "Little Miss Spider", too!

I am shocked at the first "review" of this book from Sept 1999! This book is not disturbing in any way (except for maybe the big spider eating another bug for dinner). The message of the book is that our mothers "are the creatures who love us the best" whether those mothers look like us or not. I have two children, they both joined our family through adoption. Our youngest was adopted internationally. This book sends the wonderful message that my daughter does not have to look like me to be loved by and welcomed into our family. Children whom joined their families through birth can gain great insight from this book, it is not disturbing at all. Your are reading too much into this book if you believe our children will think they can be cared for by a beatle if they "tire" of us. This book is not about Little Miss Spider choosing other parents, it is about a mother who had love to give and a daughter who needed a mother. For the record, Little Miss Spider DOES find her mother. Just because her mother turned out NOT to be a spider does not mean she did not find her mother. There needs to be more education about adoption with all children (adopted and biological) and this book is a great tool to do so. It is especially helpful and educational if you are looking for a good book addressing international adoption! Enjoy this special book!

My daughter has loved the Miss Spider books practically since birth! The board books and paper versions are really sturdy, and the illustrations are wonderful and bright. This story follows Miss Spider as she appears to be lost, but is found by the "one who loves her the best" even though she physically looks different, and is not her natural mother. Kirk celebrates diversity in all of his stories, and demonstrates how hard it sometimes is to fit in, but how that uniqueness makes you special. Miss Spider is fabulous; I highly recommend the Sunny Patch School book too.

If you like history books then this is a good book for you. The book that I read is Little House On Rocky Ridge. If you read all the other Laura Ingalls series then you'll know what I'm talking about.You see Laura Ingalls is older with a husband and a daughter who is curius, and her name is Rose. So the 3 of them and their friends moved to Wisconsin but there is a problem not a big one but a minor one. They had a 100 dollar bill from when Laura's working at the sewing place but they lost it. Will they ever find the 100 dollar bill? But there's more problems! Read the book and you will find out all the problems. This is a real good history book you will love so read this good history book!

I first read "Little House in the Big Woods" 15 years ago as a 10-year old in the Philippines, and acquired my complete collection of the Little House books two years later when I moved to America; the collection was given to me as a gift by my older sister. Twelve years later in the Philippines, I opened another gift from the same sister, and my eyes nearly popped out when I held "Little House on Rocky Ridge" in my hands! I had never known that a whole new series of Little House books were being produced, as the books are not available in the Philippines! I was so pleased with this book, even before reading it, because now I could finally get all the answers to my unanswered questions about Laura, Almanzo, and Rose; I also had a new series to collect and dog-ear with endless readings. To my joy, I made a few more discoveries about the Ingalls family -- Pa had become Justice of the Peace, Mary was now living at home, and they now lived in a bigger house. I also realized that the story does not just focus on Rose, and the reader who knows Laura's style very well, can probably sense this easily, because Rose does not tell her own story. However, much in the tradition of the original Little House books, MacBride gives us a glimpse of a young girl's happy childhood: making, breaking, and mending friendships; helping Papa and Mama make a home; teaching herself how to grow up and adjust to change; witnessing the generosity of friends and neighbors; and embracing the love and perseverance her parents lived and taught Rose so well.

Only Laura Ingalls Wilder will ever write the way Laura did, and Little House fans who understand this will love this book and the rest of this new series. This book could stand alone as a portrait of a farm family driven off their land by greedy speculators in South Dakota and searching for a new home where the rain is plentiful. But it also works as a fascinating answer to the question many Little House fans have had: what happened to Laura, Almanzo and Rose after Laura's books ended? Mr. MacBride does an admirable job of following Laura's style as the family treks by covered wagon to Missouri where they must start life anew, with their old friends, the Cooleys. For those who don't know, this is a true story told in novel fashion. Rose is seven, and the book sees the world through her eyes. But the payoff comes from reading the whole series, through Bachelor Girl, when Rose is a grown woman making hard decisions to go out on her own when women were expected to marry or stay at home and become old maids. Aside from the portrait of Laura and Almanzo as mother and father, and Rose's point of view, these books tell the story of America at a time of tremendous technological change, just as today. Only instead of the Internet, it is the telegraph, telephone, and the like. Rose is a believable character, strong-willed like her mother, independent, and smart. Taken together, this series of eight books make a powerful impression on adults as well as children.

I too thought the book was funny, although not known to be a comedy book. I liked the stories Dave's mom had to tell. The pie crust failed miserably though. What's with [modern] women these days? Have we forgotten how to cook?

Here is a book that has all of the recipes of foods enjoyed throughout a babyboomer's lifetime. The chicken casserole is my favorite and it is a standard of mine now. There are a lot of photographs of the finished product and nothing is too esoteric.

This is a great cookbook for all cooks. Most of the recipes are very simple. You have to try the fried bologna sandwiches!

This is not a bad introductory documentation book, but quite skimpy in the amount of information and examples it contains.
Not sure it is worth buying at that price. I bought it after reading the previous reviews - I think they overrated it!

After reading my colleague's comments I rushed out and purchased this book. I, too, am trained and certified in Information Mapping© and was impressed at how closely the approach in this book is aligned to that method. However, what I like most is the fact that this book can be used as guidance for a wider scope than just documenting software architectures because it shows how to organize your documentation requirements, develop clear documentation and manage the entire process from start to finish.

I also like the clearly articulated and illustrated advice about how to augment text with graphics, and how to select the views and associated graphics to document requirements, specifications and the finished architecture. An example of how this book goes beyond documenting just architectures is a project in which I was engaged two years ago. One of the major deliverables was a set of operations guides. While this is related to architecture with respect to how its used after it's in production, there were no books that fully described how to go about it in a coherent way. Using the advice and techniques in this book I could have greatly improved upon what I did produce. While I cannot change the past, you can be sure that I'll use this book to its fullest the next time I need to write ops guides, especially when it comes to showing component and connector views, and elements and relations.

If you do technical writing either professionally or as a part of your job get this book and keep it nearby. If you read and use the material you're ability to communicate will surely improve, and you'll be able to tailor your documentation to each segment of your audience (business and technical), as well as to clearly communicate information. You'll also learn much about managing the documentation process itself.

Since reading a fascinating document titled "CMU/SEI-2001-TN-010 - Documenting Software Architectures: Organization of Documentation Package" a year ago and discovering that the approximately 20-page document was the basis for a book I have patiently waited, and am delighted with how the book turned out.

First, this book stands out as one of the clearest descriptions of how to not only document architectures, but how to manage the documentation project. Second, this is not a dogmatic prescription for how to document, but instead gives a set of techniques and views that can be used singularly or in combination to produce documentation that meets the needs of all technical and business stakeholders.

When I read the brief predecessor to this book I liked the way different view types and styles were introduced, but was left to my own imagination and creativity to employ them based on scant descriptions. This book rectifies those gaps by providing comprehensive guidance on how to create each view type and when it's most appropriate for inclusion into the documentation project. I was also intrigued by the earlier document because it discussed 'information chunking', which is the basis for a technique in which I'm trained and certified called Information Mapping©. The book expands on the earlier work, and it turns out that the material is not only consistent with Information Mapping© at a high level, but also shares many core principles. To me this is another plus because it will introduce readers who have not benefited from formal Information Mapping© training to powerful and effective document design and development techniques.

Another strong point about this book is the attention paid to managing the documentation process - it's one thing to write clear documentation and quite another to manage a process where many writers contribute to the documentation. I also liked the illustration examples, which epitomize how to effectively portray technical detail, and the discussion of other methods of documenting architecture.

In my opinion this book should become the standard for developing and managing documentation. It belongs on the desk of every technical writer and on the bookshelf of every architect and designer. I waited a year for this book and it was well worth the wait.

This is a nice little calendar that gives the reader a good idea about the spirit of Zen. It is especially good for those who don't know much about Zen, as it uses many quotes from many non-Zen sources as well as Zen masters. I also recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life: A Book of Eastern Wisdom" by Taro Gold which is filled with hundreds of inspirational and profound thoughts.

I have purchased this desk calendar each year since 1997, and I have enjoyed it very much each year. It almost always gives me something very meaningful to ponder during my day. You don't need to be deep into Zen culture to enjoy it; each day has a quote from a person or text, and many of those sources are not Zen masters. I most enjoy the enlightening quotes from artists, poets, and historical figures. The koans are also good for those who want something to chew on. I would give this calendar 5 stars, but since I've bought it each year, I know that the quotes are sometimes repeated year to year. But I wouldn't let that dissuade anyone from purchasing this. It's the best page-a-day I've found.

I've been purchasing this calendar, too for the past 4 or 5 years, and I'm hooked. I keep it on my desk at work, and every day I receive an artful reminder to let go of the illusion of control, to see the miracle in daily life, to remember the humor and delight of concrete existence. My office walls are sprinkled with "little zen calendar" pages - memorable quotes or passages from poetry. I think of this calendar as continuing therapy.