As a novice backyard smoker and lifelong lover of BBQ, I have found that this book provides the insight to savor new flavors. I have already tested some of the recipes on my family and have received rave reviews. No leftovers is an excellent testimony. I would recommend this book to any current or want-to-be backyard smokers.

This is a very well written and layout book. The recipes are very straight forward and easy to use. The different sauces with multi flavors are excellent......and the Smoked Jambalaya Rice is unmatched! Got to love his touch on BBQ!

I'm from Texas so I'm particular about my barbeque! This book is for SMOKING and BBQ lovers and there is something for everyone in this little gem! You can tell that "the Chef" (and author) has tried and tested these recipes.... it gives you the confidence to try it his way! I like the fact that this book gives you details in plain language..... I especially enjoyed the tips and tidbit information throughout......and a bonus at the end of the book was some great summertime side dishes and salad recipes. So far, every recipe my husband and I have tried has been perfect and delicious...just ask all of our friends and neighbors!!!

Keywords: English, Bloody Funny!!!

'Blackadder' was a BBC English television series staring Rowan Atkinson. It ran for four series (and at least one special).

The four series ran through 450 years of English History, with the same characters reincarnating /reappearing over that time.

It is bloody funny.

Series One has Blackadder as Prince Edmund, the Black Adder under his father (who hated him) Richard IV set in the late 1400's.

Series Two has Lord Edmund Blackadder, a favorite of Elizabeth I.

Series Three has Edmund Blackadder, Butler to the Prince Regent, Prince George (the son of Mad George III).

Series Four has Captain Edmund Blackadder in the trenches of World War One France in 1917.

Always with his dogsbody Baldrick and always descending the social ladder, Blackadder is a revisit on history that is well worth a visit.

The scripts, the primary content of this book, are extremely well written. The authors are Atkinson himself, Ben Elton and Richard Curtis. Other fillers in the book are original and funny.

If you've seen the programs, you will buy the book anyway. If you don't know Blackadder, get the videos from Amazon.com and then buy the book. It is excellent.

To the Creators of Blackadder, thank you and isn't it time for another series?

Even if you are NOT a die-hard fan of The Black Adder--you WILL be after reading this book. It consists of all the scripts from the television show and reads very well. In fact, for those who have never even seen the television show, this book is easy to follow, extremely witty, and absolutely hilarious and will make you want to run out and buy the series on video!!! It translates very well in book format--I can hardly say enough good things. Profits from the sale go to Comic Relief--also, as an added bonus, the book features Black Adder's "greatest insults" and lots of other "fun stuff" from the Dark Ages, including most effective torture devices, best cures for skin diseases and deformities, etc. etc. very tongue-in-cheek. Loved it! Go out and buy this book! Highly recommend and you will laugh out loud!!

This compendium of scripts from the four Black Adder series is the perfect instant mood enhancer. Carry it to work, on the train, and best of all, to the in-laws for emergency bathroom reading. Tension and anxiety are sure to melt away after the howls of laughter induced by reading some roaring, spiffing exchanges, especially, Blackadder's hyperbolic similies.

Even for an inveterate brooder like me, it's virtually impossible to stay in a snit after a glance or two of these cunning and subtle transcripts of one of the world's most hilarious and brilliant sitcoms.

As other reviewers have noted, the dialogue translates well into print, thanks to editorial asides and stage directions. Some of the material is even funnier read than viewed. For those who haven't seen the Black Adder series, be aware that a few pages of this book can instigate quite an addiction, leading to stronger stuff like the complete series and specials on VHS. Hurrah!

Although some of the stories are kind of experimental and use techniques I think they don't really need, I think this is a wonderful collection of stories about gay relationships and cultural identity. Grayson's couples are usually interracial or intercultural -- black/white, white/Asian, Asian/Hispanic, Jewish/Indian, punk/cowboy -- and their conflicts are played for witty comedy and clever dialogue. There's also a very poignant strain in memories of experiences of loss, including those friends who've died of AIDS. The author seems to be trying to use gay relationships as a way of dealing with our current obsessions: the Internet, wealth, ethnic identity, and pop culture -- not to mention dieting (a lot about food in this book, including ethnic stuff). The best story is "Boys Club," a hilarious look at the gay punk subculture.

The conversations between the characters here range from hilarious to absurd. Lovers, ex-lovers and friends all seem extremely sharp, knowing and a bit too smart for their own goods. A lot of the characters here seem isolated from the gay mainstream and while the critique of gay life is low-key, it's also pointed. Some of the reveries about friends and acquaintances who've died of AIDS verge on the sentimental. What I like most is how Grayson ties together all kinds of things you ordinarily wouldn't expect, just as his unlikely lovers manage to stay together, at least temporarily. I'm surprised the tone of the book remained consistent throughout the stories, and I wonder how many of them are autobiographical (I bet a lot!)

This book is weird and unlike any gay fiction I've encountered. One could say that in some sense, the characters in it are unique, whatever their ethnic background. There are a lot of funny moments and stories that leave you with a warm and fuzzy feeling about friendships across all kinds of boundaries. There really is a diet inside the title story, and the diet probably makes a lot of sense. Kudos to the author for a very sweet book.

This is the most thorough book you will read on Brown v. Board of Education. Kluger makes an attentive reader of his work a modest authority on the subject. You had better be very interested in the topic, however, as he leaves no stone unturned. Kluger writes not as a lawyer or historian but as a journalist who is witness to the multitude of events which he depicts.

Besides the numerous civil rights leaders and soldiers the reader encounters, the author provides an intimate account of Supreme Court justices and the process of decision-making. This proves to be the most compelling aspect of the book.

It's required reading for every social revolutionary.

A quarter of a century after it was first published, "Simple Justice" still has the power to move, enrage and touch the hearts of anyone who believes that justice ultimately prevails.

It should be required reading in any college U.S. history course because it shines an intense spotlight on the complex development of legal issues and thinking that produced the end of segregation in the United States.

I do not exaggerate when I say I believe that this is the best history book I've ever read. Further, it's wise to read it now, because an awful lot of the people instrumental in the ultimate decision, Brown vs. the Board of Education, are dying out. The late Thurgood Marshall is a great example of a lost legal talent and courageous leader who did the right thing by all Americans by winning this case. Read this book now, if only so you'll recognize the heroes in their obituaries.

What Richard Kluger has done in this account is spell out the development first of segregation, telling us just who and how the dreaded Jim Crow laws came about-including segregation laws in the North-and then walk us through how, piece by piece, legal decisions were strung together to put an end to legal segregation.

I grew up in the 1960s and 1970s and, if I thought about it at all, had the idea that the Brown decision had more or less come out of nowhere. Eventually, I began to catch on, and then I read this book. If you are similar-minded, this book will set you straight and point you to the many unsung heroes who have made us a fairer country, in line with the ideals that helped found this country. If you're a parent looking for good role models, forget sports and entertainment. Look to this book for examples of people who literally risked everything, and often paid dearly, to do the right thing. They didn't shrink from the challenge; they stepped forward, many many times. That so many others did not only reminds us of how fearful we are to force change or risk our own well being to tackle injustice. I wish I could rate it higher.

This is the one book where all the rumours, gossips,government
participation in hindering black movement into the mainstream for obvious reasons like votes was documented. Simple Justice is really two books in one.
On the one hand there is the exhaustive documentation of the race relation in this country. the evolution from sharecropping, the obstacles and outright bigotry of some white people even leaders and experts in concluding thru so-called Sponsored studies that the blackman was genetically inferior and the subsequent counter studies that goes contrary to genetics, in d issue of Gene vs. Enviroment
On the other hand the legal maneuvering resulting in d decision we now called the brown vs. boe. the role of some white brothers is acknowledged here. thanks to the supreme court later to be headed by chief Justice Jarren-for daring to do what was then the inconceivable.
the decision among other thing brought the power of government and the role of d supreme court as the pre-eminent decision maker to the fore.
I must mention here that the actors like martin luther king jnr, Thurgood Marshal later a supreme court judge ,naacp members and other black men and women who risk all they have to win this case.
**I recommend that this book should b fed if possible to all blackmen in high schools that they may know how much it took to get to where we are today. that education should be taking seriously by all black people.

Large and luxuriant, this volume is built for comfort rather than for speed. Intended for the coffee table, it cover the entire history of special effects with generous portions devoted to the recent contributions of digital effects artists. You won't find detailed tutorials for Maya, but you''ll be able to read all the basic theory behind camera work, optical effects, model making, make-up, matte painting, animation and audio effects.

Nearly all the right companies have been contacted, from Cinesite to ILM and on to Sony Pictures Imageworks. On top of the plain-talking and superb examples of digital creativity cited, the book is illustrated with great photos and diagrams. The only slight drawback is the price tag, but quality doesn't always come cheap.

Once I picked up the Special Effects book, I seriously could not put it down. This book is truly amazing as it serves not only as an information source, but it is also very entertaining. The first half of the book goes through the decades starting with the 1900's. In each time period Richard discuses the new advancements in film making during that decade, along with writing about some of the best movies form that time. Some of the classics include Singing in the Rain, The Wizard of Oz, and many Hitchcock movies. The second half of the book focuses on individual aspects of movie magic. From make-up and costumes, to lighting and pyrotechnics. The book cover many recent movies like Titanic, Star Wars Episode I and The Matrix. I strongly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the entertainment field. The book is easy moderate to read and full of amazing color pictures that you won't find anywhere else. Some of the pictures are accurate diagrams of film processes, such as animation, digital effects and camera techniques. I feel that form reading this book I gained a lot of basis knowledge needed to better understand the industry. Did you know that most of the snow used in movies is simply shredded paper? Or how about the fact that 90% of dialogue is movies is recorded and dubbed after the movie is shot! Find out hundreds of more amazing facts in Richard Rickitt's Special Effects: The History and Technique.

Special Effects is THE BEST book you could wish for on the subject. I have a shelf full of old, an mostly inaccurate books about special effects, but with this new book I could throw the rest away. Also, don't bother with magazines like Cinefex anymore, which are very dry and heavy going. this book is a pleasure to read and has interviews with everyone who is important in the business. There are hundreds of cool photos as well which makes it very good value. Anyone who works in special effects, or is just interested in the movies should read this book. Congratulations to the author Mr Rickitt who has condensed 100 years of movie magic into a single lavish book. Dont take my word for it - BUY IT!

As a 15-year Who fan, I've often lamented that the end of the creative Who coincided with my interest in the band. I wondered why there weren't at least more albums from their peak creative years. After reading this book, I now understand all the complex group dynamics that both fueled and hindered the band. From this book, we see it all from an eyewitness unencumbered by celebrity. As introspective as Townshend often was (is), he often contradicted historical recollections of the legendary Who. Richard Barnes seems to set the story straight, and despite being a close friend of the band, tells it honestly. Warts on the arse and all. A great read broken up by scores of previously unseen photos and memorabilia.

Simply put, The Who transcended rock in their heyday. A much more compelling live act than the Stones or Beatles...lyrically soaring over Zeppelin and Pink Floyd. A chronicle of the greatest band to emerge from the British Invasion. The Who's magic, was that it was a machine...but an ever-changing one. Pete Townshend's lyrical courage, Roger Daltrey's agressive vocals, John Entwistle's thundering bass and Keith Moon's anarchic drumming made this a band for the ages. This book, a must for any Who completist, is also a wonderful source for the new fan. With it's use of exclusive photos and insider tales, the books author (Barnes) has managed to please even the most informed fanatic. Towsnhend, Daltrey, Entwistle and Moon are captured in their true form...as flawed individuals and as peerless performers. Anyone who has been a fans for years will love the "behind-the-scenes" peeks...and the new fans will delight in these stories as an introduction to the greates band in rock and roll. Loud, raucous, destructive, brilliant. Pick it up if you love the Who!

This is the inside scoop on The Who from a friend of Pete Townshend's before The Who even existed. There are an overwhelming number of color and black-and-white photos and a text that takes you on The Who's amazing journey from guitar-smashing hooligans in Shepherd's Bush dives to rock 'n' roll gods. If you like rock music at all, you need this book

Depression seems a dark, bottomless pit with no way out, and yet the door to sunshine and wholeness is amazingly easy to open, thanks to Richard Carlson. A few years back, after spending megabucks on counseling and anti-depressants (which ultimately made things worse!), I simply read this common-sense book and was well on the way to healing within six weeks. Just learning to recognize the triggers that start the depressive cycle gives the sufferer major power in controlling the onset of depression. Then, learning to think and act as a child, not worrying over yesterday or tomorrow - just making life great RIGHT NOW - gives us the ultimate weapon for conquering depression and giving us back control of our lives. And it really didn't take as much effort as I thought it would - I just had to WANT to heal, and be willing to do a little work to accomplish that end. Anyone who reads this book, whether suffering from depression or not, will benefit from it's common-sense approach to life in general. It's a small book, and it can help to enhance the quality of life in a GIANT way!! Thank you, Richard Carlson.

This is a good companion book to his "Happiness" book. My favourites are:

Our Thoughts - our thoughts are ingrained in us, through our childhood and adult experiences. We are constantly thinking. Understand that our thoughts are simply thoughts and nothing more. More importantly, our thoughts are not real! Like a river of floating leaves, our mind carries both bad and good thoughts, but as the primary "thinker" we decide which thoughts to carry.

Depressed or unhappy people carry too many unhappy thoughts. We must learn to understand, experience, and more importantly dismiss thoughts when necessary.

Don't overanalyze your thoughts, or as Carlson puts it analysis paralysis. Remember thoughts can't hurt you.

Present moment living - there is no yesterday or tomorrow, your happiness is grounded by living in the present moment.
These and many others are sound principles of living, well worth the short read.

Is it that simple? Our thoughts.. our thoughts...

This book is easy to read and understand even if your too depressed to read anything. Richards' writing doesn't talk down to you or pretend that your supposed to get "it". He explains in common sense ways how you can change your life by changing your thinking. He also doesn't leave you with hanging questions. He intuitively knows what questions the reader may be asking and answers them. I felt satisfied with his thorough explanation of his proces and it has helped me immensely. I have given this book to many friends and their comments echo mine. This book puts you back in the drivers seat of your mind.

Dr. Richard Karl developed his style by writing of his avocation, flying. It is a natural extension of his craft to write of his vocation, surgery. My generation of physicians were largely recruited to medicine by Dr. William Nolen in his books "The Making of a Surgeon" and "The Life of a Surgeon". Dr. Karl builds on that fine tradition with "Across the Red Line". Just as life has become more complicated since the 1960's, so has medicine. Dr. Karl reflects the complexity of the current environment while maintaining the the reverance of the doctor-patient relationship that Dr. Nolen so aptly described. Dr. Karl has served our professional and the public well with this passionate description of the surgeon's daily work.

Richard Karl has done an admirable job of letting the reader into the rather rarified atmosphere of a surgeon's daily life. Also admirable is the compassion he feels for his patients and for the young doctors he teaches who are contemplating surgery as a career. With just the right amount of detail to give a good picture of complicated medical cases, the lay person can begin to understand the enormous responsibility a surgeon carries every day.
I am a high school librarian and I will buy this book for my high school library, as I believe many students, especially those aimed at medicine as a career, would definitely appreciate this very readable and enjoyable memoir.

Who should read Across the Red Line? First of all this is a book for medical students thinking about becoming a surgeon. with great economy of language it describes the emotional, physical and mental aspects of what it takes to perform surgery day after day, in both planned and unplanned circumstances. It offers the reader dramatic insight about the ups and downs of the profession.

It is good reading for the patient facing surgery as well. It provides a strong dose of reality for anyone facing surgery or other intense medical care. In this area Dr. Karl provides particular insight. In two separate chapters he describes in vivid and emotional detail his two bouts with being hospitalized. In both cases for illness or injury inflicted in the line of duty. The first was a case of life threatening hepatitis. The second was a broken neck incurred in an effort to restrain a strong, young patient who became out of control in the emergency room. Dr. Karl's own experience clearly shaped his perspective and made him a much more compassionate physician.

This book is good reading for other doctors who may need to see that it is possible to be passionate, caring and emotional thirty some years into a career.

Finally this is a book for anyone interested in learning about what it is like to walk around in the shoes of a serious and thoughtful surgeon who details with life and death many times a day.

This is a beautifully written book, the first of three written so far by Richard Ketchum, on famous Revolutionary War battles. It tells the story of the first major military engagement of the American Revolution as does no other book I've ever read on the same subject.

The author brings to life the main characters and events of the story. He briefly introduces the major figures - British Generals Thomas Gage and William Howe, and American leaders Joseph Warren, General Israel Putnam, Colonel William Prescott, and Henry Knox - and traces the story of the conflict in the Boston area in the spring of 1775. Ketchum then sets the scene of the battle by describing how the Americans, chronically short of munitions, supplies and manpower, successfully avoided British detection and entrenched themselves on Breed's Hill (mistaking it for the higher Bunker Hill), and how the British reacted once they discovered the fortifications. Drawing on letters and other first-person accounts of the battle's participants and observers, both the American and British, Ketchum vividly describes the military action of June 17, 1775; I found myself almost able to hear the firing of guns, and smell the smoke of battle, as I read the final chapters of the book.

As an avid reader of American History, I thought I knew everything about battle of Bunker Hill; however, Ketchum's powerfully written narrative introduced me to many new facts about the people and events of this, the first major battle in America's war for independence. It is a book of outstanding scholarship, and "must read" for anyone interested in American history.

Richard Ketchum has written a fantastic narrative history of this important early battle of the American Revolution. For years, early American history has been one of my biggest interests and I can honestly say I've never read a book from this period that was as gripping as Ketchum's. It rivals David McCullough's "Truman" with its ability to pull the reader in, making him feel as if he's in the midst of the battle. Furthermore, he displays an intimate knowledge of both the particulars of Bunker Hill as well as 18th century warfare in general. Highly recommended.

This is the first Revolutionary War book that I have read, so I consider myself a novice in this field. Having said that, I have a fair amount of military history and really enjoyed this book. Ketcham's account of this famous battle is detailed, well researched, well written, and easy to follow. He does an excellent job of telling the story of what happened during this dramatic battle from both the American and British perspective. Addtionally, he gives extensive background information about the key events, and players that are involved in this "high stakes" battle without boring you.

I learned a lot about the battle, and feel that I have a much better understanding, and appreciation for what took place on that fateful afternoon. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in the battle, or learning more about the men who fought the Revolution, and the odds they faced.

I received this book for Christmas - my friend knows I have kept a journal since I was 12 - so it was a "just perfect" gift for me. What I like about it is that it lists all the questions you would like to ask, but have never got around to asking of anyone precious in your life. I am going to send a copy to my 89-year old godmother - because there is so much I would like for her to tell us. We're also going to use it as a tool for the video we are making of her - the questions and segments are perfect for a project like that. In a future edition, I would recommend more questions or segments for those with non-traditional lives - multiple marriages, foster families, gay relationships, etc. But this is definitely a start in the right direction and there are plenty of blank pages to fill in your own unique events, life experiences, and thoughts.

I got this book for my mother-in-law and she loves it. The first day she had it, she spent almost the entire day writing. She's told all of her friends and they are now wanting the book for themselves and their parents who may still be living. What better way to tell someone you care than to let them know you want to know all about their lives and want your children to know as well, so it will never be forgotten how wonderful they are. Now the only problem is, which grandchild gets the book when she's done!

This book prompts the reader through a number of memory sparking questions, then invites the reader to fill in the pages with their own version of their 'life experiences'. An excellent gift for parents, grandparents, or even if a young couple would like to start documenting their lives for their future family.