The only problem was that as I read it from cover to cover, I kept crying - it was the darndest thing. But my tears fell continuously.

"A Scrapbook for Sandy" was sent to me by a dear friend who lives far away, who I don't see very often but with whom I shall always have a very close bond. I received the book after a long days' journey, too full of too many different airplanes and airports. Just as I was thinking how exhausted I was to be back in New York, I saw this large package on my desk, awaiting my return. Upon opening it, I sat for at least two hours reading and laughing, smiling and thinking, completely unaware of tasks in front of me and the exhausting trip behind me. What warmth and inspiration! What a passion for loving and living the book contains! For any of those most dear, I recommend sending a copy of Cecile Mactaggart's "A Scrapbook for Sandy" right away! They will cherish it for years to come and they will return to it often for sustenance, solace and delight!

"A Scrapbook for Sandy" is a marvelous love poem. Its author has worked her pictures and text together so that both, reinforcing each other, present a large and moving serenade.

This book was a wonderful surprise: a well-crafted, amusing and gracefully written culinary mystery. Out of the many many culinary mysteries on the shelf these days, this stands out as the best I've read yet. The recipes and food descriptions are integral to the story, and are integrated well with the text--not stuck onto the back as a last second "gimmick". The mystery was interesting and engaging, and the characters sympathetic and amusing. Can't wait for the next in this series to come out!

I enjoyed every morsel of this charming, entertaining, and literate book -- from the colorful, and very French, chef protagonist to the dead-on local characters to the witty remarks sprinkled throughout.This writer has the knack; I can't wait for more from her.

In a mystery sub-genre almost overrun with titles, Lamalle's first entry in the culinary mystery category is a real standout at every level: characterization, plotting, language, humor and the author's pitch-perfect ear and feel for the denizens of her upstate New York, small-town locale. Something is rotten in Van Buren County and it begins to noticeably fester when the battered corpse of an unknown female turns up in the mushroom patch of Charles Poisson, owner and gourmet master of "La Fermette," the gustatory jewel of Klover, NY ("a mere thiry miles from Albany.") Poisson, whose personality and diction have a hint of the late Hercule Poirot, is an inspired creation, as are his regular dining patrons, most of whom become suspects in the primary murder as quickly as they are introduced. Lamalle manages to keep the suspense spinning for all of her almost 300 pages, while simultaneously charming the reader with characters who might well fit into a game of "Clue"--if "Clue" were played in the village of Peyton Place. An extra bonus in this sparkling entertainment is the collection of Charlie's mouth-watering recipes, sprinkled as a garnish through its suspensful, funny and murderous pages. A first-class, genre-transcending entertainment that should appeal to both mystery fans and anyone fond of an amusing, literate novel.

I have revisited this book many times since it was published ten years ago. In her 13-poem collection, Rich turns her penetrating poet's gaze to "the difficult world"--malathion strawberries (p. 3), missiles in the desert (p. 5), silence (p. 10), car graveyards (p. 11), waste (p. 11), Wounded Knee, Los Alamos, Selma (p. 12), death on the Appalachian Trail (p. 14), and loneliness (p. 19). These are not "feel-good" poems, and the title poem is stronger than others.

"These are not the roads you know me by," she writes in her Whitman-like title poem, "but the woman driving, walking, watching from life and death is the same" (p. 5). As these poems reveal, Rich writes with stunning honesty from her heart, soul, and the marrow of her bones (p. 51).

G. Merritt

I'm surprised no substantial reviews of *Atlas* have been posted, as anyone who has read it knows that Rich's survey of American life during the Gulf War era (in the title poem) is an unforgettable document of our time. Rich is known as a feminist writer and radical critic, and that impression scares off undergraduates for whom feminism is too loaded a term. This book, especially the title poem, "Eastern War Time," and "Tattered Kaddish," shows that Rich's feminist insight does not limit her attention--or relevance--to women subjects and readers.

Many lines from "An Atlas of the Difficult World" stay with me, but from its final section, I'll give this as an example of how Rich strives to find in her readers equal partners, sharing her task of representing all of American life:

I know you are reading this poem which is not in your language guessing at some words while others keep you reading and I want to know which words they are... I know you are reading this poem because there is nothing else left to read there where you have landed, stripped as you are.

Rich sees her readers as stripped of innocence, of the ability to make casual assumptions about their lives in America and the world. But these poems offer the gift of understanding our current state, and of a beautiful, surprisingly generous description of us all.

It is a touching example of poetry expressing life's struggles. Anyone can relate to Rich's amazing words and thoughts. Please give this book a try!

Adrienne Rich's prose collection Blood, Bread and Poetry spans almost sixteen years of writing. Those who are familiar with Rich's poems will find themselves in familiar intellectual and emotional territories. While I enjoy Rich's poetry much more than her prose (who doesn't enjoy poetry more than prose), Blood,... still had a freshness of voice and language that was surprising for a book that tackles philosophical and political material. For those who are interested in really delving into Rich's poetry (and her writings in general) the book is definitely worth reading at least once. I also feel the book is a must for anyone who is serious about writing. Overall, it was a satisfying read that I've come back to on occasion

This book, and all of Rich's books, are the kind you want to give to everyone you know. Thoroughly enriching. They should be read by all poets, thinkers, women,....and , yes, men too.

"Blood, Bread, and Poetry: Selected Prose 1979-1985" brings together a thought-provoking collection of essays and speeches by Adrienne Rich. A prolific poet, Jewish woman, feminist, lesbian, political activist, and mother of three sons, Rich attempts to bring all of the pieces of herself into play as she confronts a host of intellectual, artistic, and ethical issues.

As the book's subtitle indicates, all of these pieces were written between 1979 and 1985, and thus the book as a whole serves as a valuable document of the intellectual work of a radical thinker under the neo-conservative shadow of the Reagan era. The book also evokes the waning decade of the Cold War.

Rich writes with great passion about feminism, and with great anger about the violence and oppression directed at lesbians from centuries past to the time in which these pieces were written. She often quotes or pays tribute to other writers who have inspired and impacted her: James Baldwin, Audre Lorde, and others.

Rich covers much intriguing ground in these prose pieces. "The Problem of Lorraine Hansberry" may inspire you to re-read Hansberry's classic play "A Raisin in the Sun." "Split at the Root: An Essay on Jewish Identity" is a compelling autobiographical piece that examines her mixed Jewish/gentile heritage, her marriage and life as a mother, and her eventual emergence as a lesbian. A number of essays deal with her interest in the Sandinista revolution of Nicaragua.

Despite the often grim and humorless subject matter, I find Rich to be a remarkably engaging writer. At best, her work is challenging and genuinely thoughtful. As companion texts to this worthwhile collection I recommend the following: Audre Lorde's essay collection "Sister Outsider" and Tony Kushner's two-part play "Angels in America." For complementary perspectives on revolutionary Nicaragua, try the poetry of Gioconda Belli and Daisy Zamora. Finally, check out the two inaugural addresses of Reagan as well as former New York Governor Mario Cuomo's keynote address to the 1984 Democratic Convention; these political speeches can be found in the more recent editions of "A Documentary History of the United States," edited by Richard Heffner.

This book is blood, sweat and tears. It is the sweet succulence of love. Her poetry is bitter and rich.

This is simply a swell collections of poems. Some are sweet, others painful. All are provoking.

June Jordan's poetry beats furiously in the name of love: for Haruko, for life, for real. Since the human language is inadequate to truly express this emotion, Jordan manipulates and bends the written word to fit the human heart. When she describes love as "yes directed by desire" ("When I or Else"), she speaks the living truth.

Read "Free Flight", "Roman Poem Number Five" and "12:01 A.M." and let her words reverberate in your every mental crevice. Let your feelings stir as hers until you see with love's eyes. That is the definition of poetry.

One of the great works of the past decades in philosophy has been the retrieval of lost women philosophers. This anthology provides a number of commentaries on women philosophers who are less known as well as some new commentary on those who have already gained some recognition. There's a nice blend here of different approaches: literary, historical, speculative. Gerdner's opening essay on the problem of the history of women's philosophy is extremely interesting.

Many of us want to expand our philosophy and other humanities courses to include the voices of women. This is an excellent resource to do so. The essays open up the writings of women from different periods and show the different types of philosophy they developed. The thematic grouping is also appealing. It challenges the dustier chronological approach.

When I started my work in philosophy, I was informed that there were no women philosophers---well, there were, but the few female stars (Arendt, Weill, Beauvoir) were more "journalists" than philosophers. They can't get away with that anymore. And the reason they can't are books like this. This is a great anthology of essays on women philosophers. There are many fine pieces here on contemporary issues in women's philosophy. But I especially enjoyed the work on women thinkers from the past. Madame de Condorcet was new to me. I also liked the focus on philosophies of love and friendship---an important area of ethics, too often dismissed as sentimental. They can't silence the philosophical voice of women anymore.

My 3 year old enjoyed this book very much. It shows the difference between some of the zoo animals and humans. She knows now that penguins have webbed feet and wings, etc. We enjoyed reading it and enjoyed the colorful pictures.

This is a great book for the young children. The words are large and there are few to a page, which makes it easier for the children to memorize. It is about aliens who come down to earth to find a human. However instead of landing in a town the aliens land in a zoo, and they go from animal to animal thinking each one is a human at first but learning that they are not. At the end they aliens think that they have found a human and they take a picture...however is it really a human. The story is light hearted. I like this story because it shows the importance of description and communication, sense the aliens didn't know enough about humans, they thought that the animals were humans. The author did a great job at introducing the different kinds of animals in a zoo.

We're all familiar with picture books in which a character is searching for family or identity based on comparing characteristics of the creatures he/she meets against his/her own features. Well, in this book, a family of aliens has touched down on earth, in a zoo, and they are seeking an example of human life. They must have come on an off-day because there aren't any humans at the zoo, but there are lots of animals. The alien mom compares each animal against the description of humans in her book and finds that none quite fit the bill . . . until the end of the book. The payoff is that they identify a smiling gorilla as a human. The picture is a funny one, and the text concludes that they have discovered that humans have the greatest smiles (based on the toothy grin of the gorilla). The book is fun to read and the illustrations are funny. I would recommend it for kindergarten-age kids.

I was enthralled with this book from page one. The action anddialogue are very crisp. However, I find the main characters, who aresupposed to be about 13 years old, to act and speak as if they were more like 16. Additionally, the portions of the book from Miss Caples point of view add quite a bit of characterization at the beginning, but then the author inexplicably stops using them until the very end. A little more of them throughout the book would have been nice.

I think if the author had simply changed the ages of the girls and written the book a little longer, it would have made a fine YA read. As it is, it's a better than average juvi selection.

Those are the first words that started a new friendship.
Jenna and her long time best friend,Liv, are working on a project for one of their classes. What they must do is go to a senior citizens house and read to them. Liv, one of the most popular girls in their school, isn't thrilled about this project, and wants to have it over with. Because of her snobby ways, thinking she is better then everyone. For example Liv is very rude to a girl in their science class because she is different. She humiliates this girl in front of the entire class but they all turn against Liv. This hoydenish girl instructs for Jenna to get back at her with a devilish prank that Jenna doesn't approve of.
When Jenna and Miss Caples met, she didn't talk to Jenna for about a week. But when she finally did talk to Jenna they found that they totally relate to each other. Jenna tells Miss Caples of all her problems with Liv, and how Liv and her are not as good of friends anymore because of the involvement of the prank she doesn't want to participate in.
This prank to me is about the crueliest I have ever heard. To me, Liv has a sick mind.You find in this book that "history is repeating itself". Why you ask? That is the same question I asked myself when I looked at the front cover.Don't judge this book by the cover, I almost did and I am sure glade I finished it. I would have been making a BIG mistake! I reccomend this book for teen girls and their mothers. You can relate to this book no matter what age.

When Jenna is assined a project to do she gets Miss Caples. Miss Caples doesn't talk or move unless shes petting her cat. When magizines and books get boring Jenna starts to tell Miss Caples about her life problems. When Jenna's dad moves our and her best friend Liv get in a fight Miss Caples and Jenna start to see eye-to-eye on things. Miss Caples knows something about Jenna that Jenna doesn't know about. In this book you will start to see this story become a book. Little things in Jenna's world now seems to get more important everyday. Once you find out what this secret that Miss Caples has you will have to keep turning that page.

This book will not teach you all the rules, cases, or declensions in German. But it will clearly explain what they are, what they correspond to in English, how the German and English practices differ, and what the role of each concept is in German. If your formal grammar is a bit shaky then this is a splendid place to start.

If your interest is English grammar in and of its (twisted) self then the book for you is The Deluxe Transitive Vampire, by K Gordon.

As you learn German you find more information about the mysteries of English. When I went to collage they said I had a pretty good grasp of English and would be wasting my time English 101 and dangling participles. Then it came time to acquire German. This Book opened up a whole new world as I learned the fundamentals of German I also found the parallel principle s of English. This book by placing the differences and similarities side by side helped me to better understand both languages. I am not sure I will get it down pat, but without this book, I would be dead in the water.

Some sample contents:

What is a Noun?

What are Indefinite and Definite Articles?

What is meant by gender?

What is a Participle?

Appendix A - Noun Gender Reference List

This is indispensable knowledge of "English Grammar for Students of German"

English Grammar for Students is a fascinating book. It compares and contrasts English and German grammar, point by point, making it easier to understand the grammar of each language.

Reading this book, you'll end with a deeper knowledge of such things as nouns, gender, number, articles, case, verbs, subjects and objects. You'll also learn more about predicate nouns, promouns, personal pronouns, parts of verbs, infinitives, verb conjugation, tenses and much, much more.

The structure of both languages will pop out at you.

I had a hard time reading this book and gave up after only a few chapters. After the first 2 chapters, I wondered if the author was only going to keep telling me all that was wrong with society. Once I decided to stop reading, my life became much simpler.

This book has become very close to my heart, as it has opened up for me a whole new world of understanding. Living in a very "me-based" society, we are not accustomed to thinking of how our choices affect others. This book shows us the impact of over-consumption, and directs us toward a path of living that is more simple, balanced and compassionate. It's the perfect book for those who want to embrace a simpler life, but aren't sure where to begin. It's also great for those who have heard about voluntary simplicity, but desire more understanding of its concepts. I highly recommend it.

I found myself drawn into Simpler Living, Compassionate Life from the first words of the foreword by Bill McKibben. Reading this book helped me examine areas of my life that I didn't even know needed another look. It began a process of enrichment for me that I know will last forever.