This is a wonderful book. The recipes are clearly written and easy to follow. Included are little pictures of all the ingredients - a help to us visual people dealing with unfamiliar ingredients. I will be giving this on as a gift!

On every page of every recipe you receive detailed and very throrough illustrations. I can't begin to tell you how useful this book is... get it!

The Italian Americans is an informative and entertaining exploration of Italian immigrants in the United States and their descendants. Though it's targeted at junior-high students, the book is written in a clear, concise style that will interest adult readers as well.

Petrini examines the reasons why so many Italians left their native land between 1880 and 1920 to start a new life in the United States. She describes their living conditions in their new home, the sometimes arduous jobs that Italian American men, women, and children worked at in order to build their new lives, and the discrimination and exploitation many had to cope with.

The author documents some surprising facts: Did you know that a presidential order curtailed the civil liberties of Italian Americans during World War II, because of an unfounded fear that they might be spies for their native Italy? Thousands were actually incarcerated in camps by the U.S. government. And the biggest mass lynching ever documented in the United States took place in 1891, when an angry mob executed 19 innocent Sicilian-born residents of New Orleans. I didn't know about these injustices; Petrini's book describes these and other instances of discrimination against the new immigrants and their children.

Other chapters describe the Italian Americans' successful efforts to integrate into and contribute to their new society while preserving their own culture in "Little Italy" neighborhoods around the country. The book also discusses more recent contributions by the descendants of the immigrants in business, literature, science, and the arts.

Petrini makes it all come to life with plenty of first-hand accounts and interviews with immigrants and their children, and many wonderful old photographs highlight the text.

As a third-generation Italian American, I can say that this book made me feel prouder of my heritage than I was before -- and more informed about it, as well!

Since September 11, an undercurrent of anti-immigration feeling has targeted new Americans, in particular Arab-Americans. It's as if most of us have forgotten that we wouldn't be here ourselves if our parents, grandparents or greats hadn't emigrated to the United States. So it seemed particularly timely to me when I came across The Italian-Americans, part of a series on Immigrants in America, aimed at children as young as my grandsons (ages 9 and 10) but mainly geared for junior-high level. Until I read the book, I'd been ignorant of the fact -- as are most people -- that it wasn't only Japanese-Americans who were persecuted during WWII. Italian-Americans were also the objects of prejudice and discrimination.

The book doesn't start with WWII though, but goes back to the 19th century to explore the political and economic struggles that resulted in the establishment of Italy as a modern, independent country. It was most interesting to me in its depiction of the hard life of the peasant and manual laborer that drove so many to uproot themselves and make the arduous trip to start new lives in America. This depiction is a compassionate one, in which the author weaves individual stories and interviews into her more general historical account, and further embellishes these accounts with rare vintage photographs of immigrant families. How different my grandsons' lives are from those of the young boys their age who had to spend their days underground as "go-fers" for their fathers and older brothers as they labored in the mines.

The author also tells of the contributions made by Italian Americans that have enriched our national fabric -- not just such well known contributions as pizza, pasta and Frank Sinatra, but the accomplishments of individuals like Gugliemo Marconi, inventor of the radio, Olympic gymnast Mary Lou Retton, TV actress and film director Penny Marshall, and Vincent Palumbo, the late master carver at the National Cathedral in Washington, DC.

For all these reasons, I think the book would make a good supplement to the average history textbook, and it seemed to me that the depth of information might be useful to students well above the age range indicated by the publisher.

I'm not Italian myself, but much of this volume reminded me of stories told by my own immigrant grandfather. And it's a reminder of how much we owe to immigrants of every country. If the rest of the series is up to Petrini's effort, it should be most worthwhile reading.

In this book, Catherine Brown gives readers a true account of life with a Jack Russell Terrier. I have done Jack Russell Terrier rescue for several years, and have shared my home with many Jack Russell Terriers and can appreciate every single word she writes about this challenging and fun-loving breed. Her description of their true nature, along with her complete honesty about the breed, is exactly what people considering this unique little dog need to know. Readers will find all qualities of the Jack Russell, good and bad, in this book. I will be sending a copy of this book home with each person that purchases one of our puppies. I highly recommend it to Jack Russell enthusiasts and to anyone even considering sharing their life with these "thugs in white clown suits." It gives an excellent history of the development of this versatile hunting terrier, and provides wonderful insight into it's origins and purpose. A must have for any Jack Russell fan!

Ms. Brown offers a comprehensive view of life with the average Jack Russell Terrier; she also warns us that there is no such thing as an "average" Jack Russell. The information is presented with humor and genuine admiration for this quirky, sturdy and brazen breed. The text is complimented with stunning color photographs of dogs and puppies in action. Ms. Brown also highlights some of the great foundation dogs and it is always a thrill to find one in your new pup's pedigree. This is a wonderful first book for those considering a JRT, and we veteran owners appreciate a reference book that looks beautiful on the coffee table -- it is a welcome relief from the dead mice our JRTs leave for us under our beds!

Famous 60's photographer (beau of Jean Shrimpton, Catherine Deneuve and Catherine Bailey) performs here an experiment that few are in a position to try and succeeds brilliantly. His current (and long term) wife, Catherine Bailey, was a sixties supermodel - before the term was invented - and is still a ravishing woman and she here reveals through her husband's eyes some aspects of being female. From stunning fashion shots, to shots with her children, to shots of her *having* children. This is a frank look at a beautiful woman and a touching tribute to someone who comes across as a fine partner and mother. Mystifyingly, the title implies to me something that I couldn't see in the book. No problem, just a puzzle. And you can ignore the text by Fay Weldon. Why did they put that in? I'm very lucky. I've got a copy signed by both Baileys. Christopher Stephens

I have not had the chance to explore the book itself, but I saw an excerpt in an issue of Penthouse Magizine. I have been unable to locate the book itself in stores. If you have any suggestions, let me know at emc@epm-inc.com

There's a strange familiarity I found with the characters of 'A Late Phoenix' which is only apparent in the greatest of writers (Crane, Zelazny, Fitzgerald, Tyler, and for the more 'mysterious' variety - Sayers, Stout, Tey, Christie, and Mortimer). Crosby is always great as the comic relief (always reminding me of friends I've had in school or more often than I'd care to think about, myself :P). Also of listening to the audio book, Bailey's performance is masterful and has a minimalist professonalism - he's no David Suchet...to his credit.
Aird is, in my opinion and rather arguably, one of the greatest mystery writers of all-time (Sayers, Stout, and Christie being the others).
I've read quite a few mysteries and this has to be one of my favorites because it doesn't just stick to the immediate mystery, there are countless other 'mini-mysteries' within it (like all good mysteries have). Also because the 'main mystery' behind this story is something to be solved on an incredibly difficult scale, because the protagonist must solve something that happened way way in the past (as it was Tey's 'A Daughter in Time').

I recommend Robin Bailey's unabridged narration. As always, he's the perfect reader for an English cozy mystery, and a fine actor. He can slip into and out of the voices of young constable Crosby, an old man whose lungs were damaged by poison gas in WWI, an overweight woman with a bad leg in a doctor's office, and many more, all without missing a beat.

The Battle of Britain, of course, didn't just involve the bombing of London; even thirty years later, Lamb Lane in Berebury is still a bomb site. (The council and the owners have been fighting for years about the building plans.) Now that everyone has their act together, the bomb rubble is being cleared - and the excavator hits just the wrong (or right) place: the skeleton of a pregnant woman was buried on the site, dating back to the war. Even before the autopsy, Dr. Dabbe doesn't buy the theory that a bomb would have laid her out so neatly with no visible crush injuries, so Sloan is stuck with an investigation that the superintendent would be just as happy to write off as 'historical' rather than 'possible murder', but there are suggestive points: the absence of any identification - or wedding ring - on the body, for one. Other missing pieces include a hue-and-cry for a missing person (there wasn't any) and the required notification of the local archeologists about the construction (the notice never arrived - if it was ever sent). And when the archaeologists had arrived in spite of everything, someone had moved their pegs out of the danger zone.

Inspector Sloan, beginning his digging while the contractors are banned from continuing theirs, turns up various interesting tidbits: the memories of the older members of the Berebury force and the firefighting and rescue teams of the time, as well as the receptionist of the doctor's office across from the site (the old doctor himself died a few months ago). The Waite brothers, sons of the old couple who used to live in the bombed house, both left after the war, but only Harold inherited it, and promptly sold the site; Leslie, a black sheep, was disinherited. Why? And why did the self-made buyer want it but let it get bogged down in planning fights for so many years - or did someone else engineer the delay? And how and why did the clearance plans finally get approved?

Apart from interesting sidelights on living through bombing, not once but over and over again, we have Miss Tyrell, breaking in the new Dr. Latimer as the late Dr. Tarde's successor, and William Latimer's own attempts to find his feet in Calleshire's medical community as a first-generation doctor.

This extraordinary work contains a day-by-day and frequently hour-by-hour account of the three years of the Public Life of Christ, actually witnessed in vision by one of the greatest mystics of the 18th century. Besides dealing with the most profound mysteries of Judaism and Christianity, the narration includes a complete life of the Blessed Mother and extensive biographies of Noah, Abraham, the ancestors of the Holy Family, John the Baptist, the Apostles, Mary Magdelene, Judas and many intimate revelations about St. Joseph, St. Anne, St. Joachim and other relatives of Our Lord. Includes an account on the Creation of the World (Astounding!) as well as a wealth of information regarding the culture, customs, architecture, geography and even the weather conditions of ancient Palestine. Describes events from the Apostle's early missionary work, plus the death of the Blessed Mother. A treasure trove of information obtainable from no other source. Seems an act of God that these visions were permitted and recorded. The tremendous detail of these unusual volumes, along with the saintly, dignified style with which the story is related, will truly inspire the reader and bring him rich spiritual rewards. "From our own deep conviction of the great advantage to be derived from the pious perusal of the work . . . we do not hesitate in its approval to add our signature " . . . James Cardinal Gibbons.

A detailed amazing account from Creation, the fall of the Angels, Adam's fall, the Birth of Christ, His Public Life, His brutal, POW type persecution, His Crucifixion on the Cross (the exact spot where Adam's bones were buried), and His Resurrection (after releasing all the souls from Purgatory to Heaven after being freed from the bondage of Original Sin)!!! Truly, The Greatest Story Ever Told... and ongoing...Stop reading the newspaper, turn off the TV, forget the movies, etc. and focus on The Real Meaning of Life!!!...Much, much more enlightening and infinitely more rewarding!!!

One of the best books ever written about lawyers, judges and prosecutors. Anyone familier with the legal system will find that little has changed in 400 years. Catherine Bowen was a fine writer and an excellent "popular" historian. Her biography of Lord Coke not only describes a critical period in English history, but also illuminates the origins of the concepts of ordered liberty that eventually found their way into the US Constitution. Anyone interested in either law or Anglo/American history would enjoy this book.

I loved this book, both for its history of the period and its history of English Common Law, with Sir Edward's role in the formation of that Law. Couldn't put it down.

Reading Al-Takarli's 'The Long Way Back' took me away from my comfy sofa to the rich sumptuous orient in the Baghdad of the 1960s.
The translation by Catherine Cobham is excellent.

Finally, readers in the English language will catch up with their French counterparts and get the chance to read the first of Fuad Al-Takarli's novels 'The Long Way Back'. A story of love, friendship, ambition and murder in 1960s Baghdad.
Being one of a small number of Iraqi works of fiction available in English, it will serve to acquaint the reader with aspects of life in that country that go beyond the usual suspects whenever Iraq is mentioned. The common humanity of the people of this ancient nation, with a history stretching back to thousands of years, will become that bit more obvious.
I can not recommend it enough...

The first volume of the "Eagle's Wings" trilogy, Love Lifted Me by Catherine Ritch Guess is a deftly written romance between a minister and an unfortunate, downtrodden man, compassionate yet beset with internal and external demons to such a degree that he once attempted suicide while high on cocaine. A captivating story about the potential for redemption and the journey toward spiritual wholeness, Love Lifted Me is a most satisfying and romantic read.

A truly beautiful love story....with lots of twists and turns. And an unexpected but wonderful ending. Catherine is a very talented, no, multi-talented individual. Can't wait for more books.

This book has changed my life. Loving: Tapping Your Spiritual Source is the most supportive and practical approach to learning to love and be loved that I have ever found. And the CD of guided meditations that comes with the book are beautiful. The CD alone is worth the price of the book. I can't recommend this book enough. Buy it now! You'll love it!

The thing I love most about this book is its practicality. Dr. Corona doesn't spend a lot of time on explanations or stories; less than halfway through, she's already got you actually doing the practices. And they work! Unlike other books I have read on this kind of subject, this book doesn't just say "you should be more loving", it shows you how to do it, how to increase your ability to love, how to be more loving in everyday life, toward yourself and others. My favorite practice is called "love stories", where you write the story you tell yourself about some part of your life that you're not happy with, then you rewrite it as a love story. (I chose my body and what I think of it.) I also really enjoyed the CD that comes with the book. I think anyone would benefit from using this book for a month. It's also beautiful, and (I think) would make a lovely gift.