I am the kind of cook who routinely misreads tbl. for tsp., wonders how long "browning" should take (and keeps poking to see what the underside looks like), and tries to substitute ingredients--all with disasterous results. The Basic Gourmet has been a lifesaver for me in this regard: it tells me exactly what I need to know when I need to know it, and it doesn't leave me guessing or, god forbid, interpreting.

The book's first section lists and discusses equipment in detail, setting a teacherly--not bossy or condescending--tone that continues throughout its many delicious recipes, each of which is followed by tidbits such as when you might want to substitute one herb for another, what might make a good accompaniment, etc. The book is detailed and packed full of tips and suggestions, but it doesn't bury the information so that a beginning cook can't see the forrest for the trees. From scrambled eggs and omlet flipping techniques to stuffed pork chops, this cookbook covers all the basics while managing to treat its readers like the potential gourmands they are: even the scrambled egg recipe makes me feel like I'm sitting down to really appreciate a meal rather than taking baby steps or just "making do" for dinner that night. The authors anticipate common mistakes and questions, explain their terminology, give a range of preferred options for altering a recipe, and, best of all, have included all the information you need for each recipe with the recipe itself--not in an index or introductory section somewhere else in the book.

I love my Joy of Cooking, and I refer to it and the Silver Palate often, but this is the cookbook that I learned from and to which I regularly return. This is a great cookbook for beginners, well-conceived and well-executed, and very well designed.

This is great cookbook for dedicated beginners who want to learn to really cook not just get by. The recipes are varied and once you master them are easily adapted and changed around to suite your sense of adventure. The zucchini bread and chocolate gingerbread are always a hit and the tabbouleh page is the dirtiest page in the book...always a sign of a good cookbook...pages that stick together!

As a cook who has over 15 cookbooks this is the one I reach for most often. The recipes are simple but exceptionally tasteful. An experienced cook will find a multitude of useful variations and substitutions listed for each recipe, as well as forgotten techniques. For once there is a whole cookbook full of items you can find in a regular supermarket.

I purchased this book to teach my Windows 95 class. I taught a class before with a different book and nobody in the class payed much attention. The first class I taught with this book everyone was excited. They looked through the book and they were ready to learn. I purchased two other books on Windows 95 and neither of them stood up to The Big Basics. I really enjoy using this book because of the Guided Tours it has. It lets everyone follow along without being lost. And when they take the book with them they will have a great study guide for home.

An excellent book for both the beginner and the experienced computer user. As a teacher using this book in the classroom, I found that the numerous illustrations combined with the clear step by step directions easily walked my students through the workings of Windows 95. I would call this book a definate must have for any computer user's library.

I teach Windows 95 at our college as well as consult with businesses. I recommend this book often to clients and students. It is one of the best manuals I've seen on Windows 95. It is not-threatening.

If only there were so good guides for every other region of the world!!!! It is simply the best guide I've ever had. It ^has very good paintings and perfect descriptions. Impossible to miss one identification with that. And it's also not so heavy to transport, so you can easily bring it to the field. BUY IT!!!!

ý havent read it but my friend said to me it was perfect than ý will buy it as soon as possible..

This field guide has been awaited with excitement (already having existed in Swedish and Danish for a year or so) - now I know why. I have seen a huge variety of field guides, but this is simply the best yet. It covers Europe (east of Ural), Northern Africa (north of ca. 30 degrees north), and the Middle East (e.g. Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Armenia and so on). Also included is the islands of the Canaries and Madeira. All species naturally occurring (and several species not considered to be native) in this area are included. The only exception being a number of species only recorded a few times (usually meaning ones or twice) in the area. These rarities are included in a list. The species are dealt with taxonomically, and each group (e.g. Swans) starts with a short (or long in the "hard-to-id" groups) introduction. Each species has a text which I can only refer to as perfect. All relevant information is included (id, habitat, voice etc.). Also included is a map. However, the truly incredible thing is the drawings. Not only are they precise, they also include all kinds of plumage's and positions (often shown in a natural habitat as you would see it in the nature) that you could only wish for in most guides. Arrows (with a short and simple text) point at features of the birds especially important for identification. A thing most (if not all?) will find great is that the drawings are placed next to the text (and map) - no more endless going through pages. Incredibly it is still a handy guide. This is the field guide for the beginner as well as the pro. Sorry, I'm not able to find any bad things to say about this guide.

About "Born Too Short"

Born Too Short was a great story. The story was about two teenage boys living in New York City. One of the boys named Matt Greene is a 5'1'' nerd and is about five inches shorter than his best bud named Keith Livingston. Now Keith is the kind of guy who is the stud and also the athlete in the ninth grade. He also is so handsome and charming that he practically needs to keep a chart of all his babes. While Matt is the kind of kid who played a guitar all day and has never made out with a girl before.

Later in the Story, Keith is having a wonderful time being a stud and having all the babes and all that fancy stuff while Matt is getting jealous. But then, finally Matt meets a girl and really likes her and asks her to go on a date with him to Keith's rock/jazz performance. But when Matt takes his date to the performance, she sees Keith and is hooked. So she leaves Matt and goes and hangs around Keith. And while all of this is happening, Matt gets even more jealous of Keith. Then, later that night Matt is talking to a friend of his from school when he sees Keith making out with the tenth grade "hottie". Now keep in mind that both Matt and Keith are in ninth grade. So Matt gets really mad about the fact that he is a loser and his best friend is inside making out with the tenth grade knockout. So then, after pacing a couple of times up and down the sidewalk outside, he yells out a bunch of wishes.

Well, further through the story, Matt's wishes start coming true and he wants to set everything back to normal but he can't. This story is very exciting. It made me laugh and sit on the edge of my seat at some points. So if I were to rate this story from one to five stars, I would rate it a five. I really liked this story and would recommend itm to everyone who likes a good story that will make you laugh.

If you have had enough of teenage cynicism and jadedness, try Born Too Short, which is a good-natured and true and funny look at what it's like to be an eighth grade guy. You might ask, what could possibly be funny about that? Elish finds it in his hero Matt Greene's angst about girls, dating, sex, and other looming disasters. The heart of the story, though, is Matt's friendship with his overachieving best friend Keith, which is refreshingly and realistically close. A good read, and a definite change of pace.

I have to say that while reading Mr. Elish's Born Too Short, I was immediately transported back to the 8th Grade. It brought me back to all the anxieties and longing that only an adolescent can experience with such intensity. This is not an easy thing to do to a a reader in his late thirties and Mr. Elish does it masterfully. I thoroughly enjoyed the story and the writing and the humor. Most importantly, Born Too Short imparts an important message for readers of all ages. Very well done. An excellent book that I obviously highly recommend.

I liked this book because it has hores, friends, adventure, and Felicity and her family. I also liked this book because Felicity is fun to read about. My favortie part is when Felicity helps a sick man who is in jail. I liked this part because then she helps the man get better. I don't think it should be changed because it is good the way it is. I read this book because the cover was nice and the title made it sound interesting.
K.D.

This is another in the American Girls Short Stories series about Felicity Merriman, a ten-year-old girl living in the America of 1775. In this book, Felicity takes care of her new baby sister and waits for the birth of her horse's foal. However, with war beginning between the American colonies and the British Empire, and with people imprisoned for seemingly no good reason, there is much that is hard. Here Felicity learns about love and loss, and about new beginnings.

The final chapter is a fascinating and highly informative look into the effects of the new war on the people of Williamsburg in 1775. I must admit that this book really surprised me. My daughter and I both like the Felicity stories, but this one was much more serious than the others, and taught some wonderful lessons.

My daughter and I both really enjoyed this book, and we both highly recommend it to you.

I rate this book ***** because i really like it becuase the author describs what eachword is example like pattens they are things you were under your shoes so they don't get dirty she decribs that that is why i like this book also on the side of the words there are things like pictures and say what they are.It is a excallent book so i would read it if you want to hear about a girl that happened real life Renee

Such a cheerful book. You can't help but share Chip's emotions with this wonderful artwork and feeling-filled story. Two thumbs up. VERY well written.

"Dr. Hope" is the author of three delightful, bilingual (English/Spanish) picture story books that teach young readers invaluable lessons that will stand them in good stead throughout their lives. Chip, The Little Computer is the heartwarming story of a little computer and how he learns the joy of helping children learn. All of the books are colorfully illustrated with pictures that showcase Dr. Hope's "life lessons". The bilingual format is ideal for young readers to enhance their learning of English and/or Spanish.

I am in the third grade and we are starting to learn Spanish. When I told my teacher that I had a children's book at home that was English and Spanish she asked me to bring it in. All the kids loved Chip, the Little Computer and they all want to borrow it. My teacher said she was going to buy it on Amazon.com. It is a great book and it helped me with my Spanish so you should buy it too!

Better Software Faster provides an excellent, clear and pragmatic approach to developing complex systems. Not only is the book the most useful tool companion that I have ever read, it also identifies and explores the key issues that face software development teams today without overloading the reader with academic process.

BSF challenges each unit of process to prove it's value before it is accepted into the team's software development environment - following the school of "build it up" with the essentials, rather than "strip down" that many process users are accustomed to.

Along with a truly in-depth guide to using Together, and a pragmatic development process, BSF explores issues of domain modeling, requirements modeling (functional and non-functional), cost estimation, and quality from a base of practical experience.

A true informational heavyweight, each chapter is littered with experiential pop-ups where the authors share some great insight. Clearly a lot of thought has gone into this - a sit-down read.

I had great pleasure and interest reading "Better Software Faster". The great value and uniqueness of this book is that it presents in a comprehensive way a development process, the tool that supports it and the main techniques to accomplish each step. The presentation is made easy to read through an example which is clear, complete and which works.

The book also addresses some key technical points that I have never seen addressed elsewhere.

It should be the reference book of each system development team.

This book felt like a fresh breeze on a subject that has been dragged ad infinitum through a morass of books on this methodology or that process. It is not another methodology, nor is it merely a process (though there are solid roots in proven methodologies and processes).

The book impresses most with its down-to-earth practicality. Developers should quickly recognize the authors as two of their own who have spent a lot of time out there in the trenches. I helped review the manuscript for the publisher, and I found myself constantly distracted from the task of looking for problems in the text because I kept on highlighting interesting stuff that I wanted to go back to. I learned much then, and I am still learning.

The work is jam-packed with highly pragmatic advice, based on long experience, on how to tackle object-based, distributed development projects using a readily available development environment. (TogetherSoft's Together ControlCenter is the authors' weapon of choice... as far as I know it's the first third-party book to focus on this killer development platform. For TCC users, the book is probably worth it's price for the expert tips and tricks alone.)

Example abounds. The authors have built a reasonably robust distributed application (for an auto servicing shop), with both local and internet-based clients, around which the text revolves. (You can download the source code free from the book's website.) The language is Java, and the focus is on building distributed applications in a team setting.

Anyone relatively new to distributed apps (as I am), especially corporate developers and project managers, will probably benefit most from this book, though I think even the most seasoned veterans could find some interesting tidbits (artifact management and ControlCenter tips, for example).

The first thing I have to say about the book is a critique of the actual book itself. I have never read a book so full of mistakes in my life! It gave me the impression that getting it to print was more important than quality assurance. I mention it because it was to the point of real annoyance. About the message of the book. It very clearly states the fact that we must maintain our Christian witness throughout our Y2K preparations as well as how we act should there be an emergency after January 1, 2000. There is some very good spiritual insight in this book. One very important thing mentioned, is that the witness and testimony of Christ to a needy world in Y2K crisis should be in the hands of born-again believers and not cult members. However, it was a tough read at the beginning. For example, after listing things that weren't going to happen with Y2K (such as: "We will NOT have a nuclear meltdown", among others), the authors state "We just do not believe these sorts of major catastrophes are going to happen." That's not good enough reason for me to breathe a sign of relief! But if you can get through the beginning of the book, the rest of the book is well worth it. They take a middle of the road stance on possible scenarios, and I find that I am even more conservative than they are. It is a very sound book theologically. The focal point is that we should be prepared spiritually first and foremost, and then physically for Y2K (Matthew 16:26). I would recommend this book for anyone who wants to be spiritually prepared, as well as physically prepared for Y2K.

I make my living as a computer consultant and have worked with computers for the last 20 years. I find that most people do not understand what all the Y2K fuss is about. This book is written from a viewpoint that only someone with experience in the computer field would have. It was not written by a writer looking to make a quick buck on the Y2K paranoia. The book gives the worst case, best case and in between possibilities and the reasons they may or may not come to be. This allows the readers to decide for themselves how extensively they want to prepare for Y2K. Information in this book is presented from the Christian viewpoint, but is of the value to all people interested in preparing properly for Y2K. I highly suggest you buy a copy and decide for yourself what level of preparedness you want to be at when you know the facts.

I found "The Christian's Y2K Preparedness Handbook" to be a wonderful, and sane approach to dealing with all the issues that have been related to Y2K. The writers take a reasoned, thoughtful look at all aspects of life, and offer sound advice for dealing with investments, family, community and the church. They offer clear challenges we can all relate too...'being prepared' for everything from food shortages to opportunities to express and enhance your faith. This book should be read by everyone, Christian or not, who is concerned about the Y2K problems and especially if you are uncertain about the actions you should be taking to protect your family.

Excellent source for the novice breeder. Tells you in clear terms when to seek professional help. Explanations of medical situations done in clear,easily understood terms. Offers a very real view of the joys as well as some of the dangers of breeding pure bred cats. Helpful information on behavior of the queen, stud and new born kittens. Short and simple enough to act as an excellent resource during actual birthing.

I bought this book to provide more information about cat breeding as I am a new breeder.

I feel much more prepared now and know that this is a resource I will use often. The pictures are gorgeous!

I bought this book to familiarize with the various aspects of cat breeding, should I ever encounter a pregnant cat. I found it very informative. Some of the information contained is specifically for cat breeders, such as why breed, choosing mates, etc. But there is a wealth of information that is useful for all other circumstances. It contained information on cat heats, mating cycles, the birth process, care of kittens, and MANY other topics, all in good detail.

I'm not a dog breeder, past or future. I wanted information on sire and dam selection, puppy development and conditioning prior to purchasing our next puppy. We've had 9 dogs over the years. This book would be rated 5 stars for a novice breeder. It's well priced and covers all the basics of pregnancy, gestation, whelping and potential problems. In the area of sire and dam selection (9 pages), the recommendation is to select a good example of the breed standard without any genetic faults. A recommendation on nutrition (8 pages) is to select a "premium dog food that has been feed trialed". The puppy development section (12 pages) described the general development from birth to 8 weeks. The information was general, basic and I didn't learn anything new. Lots of color pictures of cute puppies. A few illustrations of dog anatomy. Several stories of dog patients Dr. Rice used for examples. Easy writing style and very well indexed. But very basic.

This is a great book. I ordered several at once, thinking that I would thus overlap any weaknesses. But this is the only one I've used. It has lots of great pictures and illustrations. It is written in a column-format with separate headings and a great index in the back. It also is not derogatory toward the inexperienced breeder. It is what the title says: the COMPLETE book of dog breeding.

Rice has compiled a simple, thorough, easy to read book that I would recommend to even the seasoned breeder. I don't need anything else!